UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
AT  LOS  ANGELES 


A  JOURNEY  THROUGH 


THE    CHINESE    EMPIRE, 


BY    M,    H  U  C, 


AUTHOR    OF 

RECOLLECTIONS  OF  A  JOURNEY  THROUGH  TARTARY 
AND  THIBET." 


IN     TWO     VOLUMES. 

VOL.  I. 


NEW    YORK: 

HARPER    &    BROTHERS,    PUBLISHERS, 
FRANKLIN     SQUARE. 


v//  -' 


•  «     . 

.'  ; :  .*:  -. 


,       .• 


:.    :.;.-.:          . 

.      ,  .  . 


o7 


TRANSLATOR'S  PREFACE. 


THE  Author  of  these  volumes  is  already  favorably 
known  to  the  English  public,  by  his  "  Travels  in  Tar- 
tary  and  Thibet,"  but  the  present  work  is  one  of  greater 
interest  and  importance  than  the  former.  M.  Hue  has 
enjoyed  such  opportunities  of  becoming  acquainted  with 
China  as  have  scarcely  fallen  to  the  lot  of  any  European 
before.  During  the  journey  here  recorded — a  journey 
through  the  very  heart  of  the  Empire,  from  the  frontiers 
of  Thibet  to  Canton — he  stood  under  the  immediate  pro- 
tection of  the  Emperor,  traveling  in  all  the  pride  and 
pomp  of  a  high  Government  functionary,  attended  hum- 
bly by  Mandarins,  and  surrounded  by  a  military  escort, 
and  he  was  brought  into  constant  and  intimate  relation 
with  persons  of  the  highest  rank  in  the  country.  Dur- 
ing a  previous  residence  of  no  less  than  fourteen  years 
in  various  parts  of  China,  he  had  been  in  habits  of 
familiar  intercourse  with  all  classes,  but  more  especially 
with  the  poor,  and  while  laboring  in  his  vocation  in  ob- 
scurity and  secrecy,  had  looked  into  the  domestic  life, 
and  watched  the  working  of  the  hidden  mechanism  of 
society  in  that  mysterious  Empire  still  so  imperfectly 
known,  though  extending  over  a  surface  greater  than 
that  of  all  Europe,  and  comprising  a  population  of  one- 
third  of  the  human  race.  His  knowledge  of  the  institu- 
tions, religion,  manners,  and  customs  of  the  Chinese, 
was  not  taken  on  hearsay  from  the  accounts  of  others, 
but  gathered  from  actual  experience,  and  he  has  com- 
municated his  knowledge  to  the  reader,  not  in  a  heavy, 


iv  TRANSLATOR'S  PREFACE. 

formal  dissertation,  but  in  a  much  pleasantcr  manner, 
(ijiropos  to  the  various  incidents  of  his  extraordinary 
journey.  It  will  not  probably  be  regarded  as  matter 
of  complaint  that  this  journey,  undertaken  in  such  anom- 
alous circumstances,  should  present  some  incidents,  sur- 
prising enough  to  be  received  with  doubt  did  they  come 
before  us  without  any  guarantee.  But  the  well  known 
and  high  character  of  M.  Hue — the  auspices  under  which 
the  work  has  appeared — and  the  internal  evidence  of 
veracity  that  it  every  where  presents,  afford  sufficient 
warrant,  even  for  what  is  most  singular  and  unexpected. 

It  is  to  be  noted  also  that  on  that  subject  on  which, 
of  all  others,  the  statements  of  a  Missionary  are  usually 
to  be  received  with  hesitation,  on  the  effect,  namely,  of 
the  labors  of  himself  and  his  brethren  in  the  conversion 
of  the  Chinese,  M.  Hue  betrays  no  tendency  to  the  cus- 
tomary sanguine  exaggeration ;  and  if  he  has  resisted 
the  temptation  so  often  yielded  to,  of  representing  the 
prospects,  from  missionary  labors,  in  a  more  favorable 
light  than  is  warranted  by  the  fact,  we  may  reasonably 
give  him  credit  for  accuracy  in  cases  where  his  personal 
wishes  and  prepossessions  are  far  less,  if  at  all  con- 
cerned. The  narrative  is  not  at  all  less  credible  because 
many  scenes  of  it  are  as  amusing  as  a  comedy,  and  often 
not  unlike  one  in  the  curious  game  carried  on  between 
the  eternal  shuffling  trickeries  of  the  Mandarins,  and  the 
courage,  humor,  and  audacity  of  the  missionaries.  In 
several  instances,  from  the  peculiar  character  of  the 
Chinese,  a  kind  of  dashing  effrontery  afforded  the  only 
means  of  escape  from  perils  to  which  a  more  timid  and 
feeble  traveler  would  probably  have  fallen  a  victim. 

In  matters  of  opinion  it  can  not  be  expected  that  the 
views  of  the  author  should  always  agree  with  those  of 
English  Protestants ;  he  has  of  course  looked  at  things 
with  his  own  eyes,  and  not  with  ours,  but  it  is  never 


TRANSLATOR'S  PREFACE.  v 

difficult  to  make  allowance  for  the  effect  of  the  refract- 
ing medium  through  which  (as  it  appears  to  us)  he  has 
regarded  matters  connected  with  the  interests  of  his 
Church.  His  religion,  it  may  be  added,  is  evidently 
not  worn  as  a  garment,  but  interwoven  with  every 
thought  and  occurrence  of  his  daily  life,  and  it  will  there- 
fore often  attract  the  spiritual  sympathies  of  those  who 
may  differ  most  widely  from  him  on  doctrinal  points. 

His  account  of  the  Chinese  Empire,  besides  the  infor- 
mation and  amusement  it  affords,  suggests  matter  for 
solemn  thought,  in  the  picture  it  presents  of  a  civilized 
nation,  almost  wholly  removed  from  religious  influence, 
"without  God  in  the  world,"  and  falling  rapidly  to  de- 
cay, from  110  other  cause  than  that  of  internal  moral 
corruption.  M.  Hue  mentions  the  (we  believe)  unpar- 
alleled occurrence  of  a  late  Emperor  having  in  an  im- 
portant state  document  passed  in  review  all  the  systems 
of  religion  known  in  China  (Christianity  included),  and 
forinally  recommended  his  people  to  have  nothing  to  do 
with  any.  The  whole  system  of  society  and  govern- 
ment appears  to  be  calculated  with  as  little  reference  as 
possible  to  the  moral  and  spiritual  nature  of  man.  As 
one  example,  among  many  others,  we  may  mention  the 
extraordinary  idea  entertained  in  China  of  the  responsi- 
bility of  public  officers,  making  the  punishment  for  mis- 
conduct in  any  department  in  the  inverse  ratio  of  the 
rank  of  the  offender ;  clerks  and  other  mere  instruments 
being  punished  most  severely,  and  the  highest  officers 
scarcely  at  all:  thus  making  it  evident  that  the  law 
takes  cognizance  only  of  the  mere  physical  fact,  and  not 
of  the  evil  intention,  in  which  the  whole  moral  offense 
consists. 

Christianity  alone,  we  conscientiously  believe,  can 
heal  this  inward  corruption,  and  arrest  the  downward 
progress  of  this  mighty  nation,  now  no  longer  separated 


vi  TRANSLATOR'S  PREFACE. 

from  us  by  almost  impassable  distance.  Not  merely  the 
statesman  and  the  merchant,  but  the  humblest  among 
us,  are  now  often  connected  by  strong  and  tender  ties 
with  countries  equally  remote.  A  breach  too  has  been 
made  in  the  hitherto  impenetrable  barrier  surrounding 
these  distant  Asiatic  Empires.  The  United  States  have 
obtained  important  commercial  privileges  in  Japan ;  Rus- 
sia is  striving  for  the  same,  and  the  secluded  population 
of  China  have  come  forth  to  mingle  (in  California  and 
Australia)  in  some  of  the  busiest  haunts  of  men,  and 
take  part  in  the  newest  movements  of  the  time.*  Of 
the  tremendous  insurrection  that  has  broken  out  in  the 
bosom  of  the  Empire  itself,  as  well  as  of  some  mistaken 
ideas  entertained  concerning  it,  the  author  has  himself 
spoken  sufficiently. 

A  word  of  explanation  may  be  permitted  concerning 
the  plural  pronoun  constantly  used  by  the  author,  the 
nos  inajesticim*  as  it  is  called,  r.ot  very  correctly  in  this 
instance,  for  it  is  obviously  employed  by  M.  Hue,  as  by 
many  others,  rather  to  avoid  the  appearance  of  egotism 
and  vail  the  individual  personality.  Since  it  seemed  in 
some  measure  characteristic,  the  translator  has  not  ven- 
tured to  change  it  for  the  more  customary  singular. 
But  whatever  may  be  thought  on  this  and  other  trivial 
points,  there  is  reason  to  hope  from  the  subject  of  the 
work,  the  means  of  information  enjoyed  by  the  author, 
and  his  vivid  and  dramatic  manner  of  conveying  his  im- 
pressions, that  his  book  will  be  received  in  this  country 
with  favor,  equal  to  that  which  has  already  welcomed  it 
in  his  own. 

*  Recent  accounts  from  Melbourne  mention  the  arrival  of  Chinese 
immigrants  in  such  numbers  as  to  cause  some  serious  apprehension  on 
the  part  of  the  English  residents. 


AUTHOR'S    PREFACE, 


WHEN  in  a  former  work  we  retraced  the  recollections 
of  our  journey  in  Tartary  and  Thibet,  we  were  com- 
pelled to  interrupt  our  narrative  on  the  frontiers  of  the 
Chinese  Empire.  We  expressed,  however,  in  a  post- 
script the  wish  to  complete  some  day  the  task  that  cir- 
cumstances compelled  us  then  to  leave  unfinished.  We 
said,  "  We  still  have  to  speak  of  our  relations  with  the 
Chinese  Mandarins  and  the  tribunals,  as  well  as  to  cast 
a  glance  on  the  provinces  that  we  traversed,  and  to  com- 
pare them  with  those  that  we  visited  on  our  former  jour- 
neys through  the  Celestial  Empire."  "This  chasm," 
we  added,  "we  will  endeavor  to  fill  up,  during  what- 
ever hours  of  leisure  we  may  be  able  to  spare  from  the 
labors  of  our  holy  ministry. "  * 

The  present  opportunity  has  seemed  extremely  favor- 
able for  the  accomplishment  of  this  design,  and,  in  de- 
fault of  any  other  merit,  our  observations  on  the  Chi- 
nese will  at  least  have  that  of  being  well  timed,  since 
we  are  making  them  public  at  an  epoch  when  the  polit- 
ical situation  of  this  great  nation  is  exciting  the  most 
general  and  lively  interest. 

This  vast  Empire,  which  for  so  long  a  time  has  ap- 
peared to  be  sunk  in  the  most  profound  political  apathy, 
and  which  even  the  warlike  operations  of  the  English 
scarcely  seem  to  have  disturbed — this  Colossus,  has 
been  suddenly  shaken  to  its  very  foundations  by  one 
*  Recollections  of  a  Journey  through  Tartary  and  Thihet. 


viii  AUTHOR'S   PREFACE. 

of  those  terrible  storms  that  can  scarcely  pass  over  a 
nation  without  effecting  some  change  in  its  ancient 
forms ;  which  leave  behind  them  sometimes  better  in- 
stitutions, but  always  much  of  desolation  and  ruin. 

If  the  original  causes  of  the  Chinese  insurrection  are 
almost  entirely  unknown  in  Europe,  its  more  immediate 
occasion  is  not  so.  In  the  first  instance,  this  was  an 
isolated  act  of  highway  robbery ;  then  followed  the  as- 
sociation of  several  villains  of  that  description,  endeav- 
oring to  resist  the  efforts  of  the  Mandarins  to  repress 
them,  and  soon  from  the  very  dregs  of  the  population  a 
little  army  was  raised,  which  began  to  occasion  serious 
uneasiness  to  the  viceroy  of  the  province  of  Kouang-si. 
At  length  the  captain  of  this  gang  of  robbers,  now  be- 
come the  chief  of  an  armed  force,  proclaimed  himself 
Generalissimo,  called  in  politics  and  religion  to  the  as- 
sistance of  his  revolt,  summoned  around  him  the  secret 
societies  that  swarm  in  the  Empire,  declared  himself 
the  restorer  of  Chinese  nationality,  against  the  usurpa-' 
tion  of  the  Mantchoo  Tartar  race,  assumed  the  title  of 
Emperor,  under  the  pompous  name  of  Tien-te  (Celes- 
tial Virtue),  and  denominated  himself  also  the  younger 
brother  of  Jesus  Christ.  By  means  such  as  these  has 
an  Empire  of  three  hundred  millions  of  men  been 
brought  to  the  brink  of  destruction. 

It  may  appear  scarcely  credible  that  a  petty  revolt  of 
banditti  should  have  increased  to  such  an  extent  as  to 
become  formidable,  and  assume  a  sort  of  national  char- 
acter ;  but  for  those  who  are  acquainted  with  China  and 
its  history  it  will  not  seem  very  surprising.  This  coun- 
try has  always  been  the  classic  ground  of  revolutions, 
and  its  annals  are  but  the  narrative  of  a  long  series  of 
popular  commotions  and  political  vicissitudes.  In  the 
period  of  time  between  the  year  420,  when  the  Franks 
entered  Gaul,  and  1644,  when  Louis  XIV.  ascended 


AUTHOR'S  PREFACE.  ix 

the  throne  of  France,  and  the  Tartars  established  them- 
selves in  Pekin,  a  period  of  twelve  hundred  and  twenty- 
four  years,  China  underwent  fifteen  changes  of  dynasty, 
all  accompanied  by  frightful  civil  wars. 

Since  the  invasion  of  the  Mantchoo  Tartar  race,  the 
nation  has  appeared,  it  is  true,  quite  indifferent  to  the 
political  situation  of  the  country,  and  altogether  ab- 
sorbed in  material  enjoyments ;  but  in  the  bosom  ot 
this  skeptical  and  avaricious  people,  there  has  always 
remained  a  powerful  and  vivacious  spark  that  the  Tar- 
tar government  has  never  been  able  to  extirpate;  secret 
societies  have  been  formed  all  over  the  Empire,  the 
members  of  which  have  seen  with  impatience  the  Mant- 
choo domination  and  cherished  the  idea  of  overthrowing 
it  to  obtain  a  national  government.  These  innumerable 
conspirators  were  all  ready  for  revolt,  and  predeterm- 
ined to  support  it,  let  the  signal  come  from  whence  it 
might,  whether  from  a  discontented  viceroy,  or  a  high- 
way robber.  On  the  other  hand  the  agents  of  Govern- 
ment had  contributed  not  a  little  by  their  conduct  to 
provoke  the  outbreak.  Their  unheard-of  exactions  had 
filled  up  the  measure  of  wrong  doing,  and  great  numbers 
of  the  Chinese,  some  driven  by  indignation,  and  others 
by  poverty  and  despair,  joined  the  ranks  of  the  insur- 
gents for  the  sake  of  even  a  remote  chance  of  amelior- 
ating their  condition,  certain  that  they  could  not  be  more 
oppressed  let  the  new  government  be  as  bad  as  it  might. 
.  It  is  also  far  from  impossible  that  another  cause,  but 
little  apparent,  may  really  have  exercised  considerable 
influence  in  the  explosion  of  this  Chinese  insurrection ; 
namely,  the  latent  infiltration  of  European  ideas  put  in 
circulation  in  the  free  ports  and  along  the  coast  by  the 
commerce  of  the  Western  nations,  and  carried  by  the 
missionaries  into  the  very  heart  of  the  Empire,  and  to 
the  most  remote  provinces.  The  people  at  large  care 


x  AUTHOR'S  PREFACE. 

little  enough  about  what  is  thought  or  done  by  Euro- 
peans, whose  very  existence  is  all  but '  unknown  to 
them ;  but  the  educated  classes  do  at  present  think 
much  of  foreign  nations,  and  cultivate  geography  with 
great  success.  We  have  often  in  our  journeys  met  with 
Mandarins,  who  had  very  correct  notions  of  European 
affairs,  and  it  is  these  learned  men  who  give  the  tone 
to  opinion,  and  regulate  the  course  of  popular  thought, 
so  that  the  common  people  may  very  well  be  following 
the  impulse  of  European  ideas,  without  knowing  so 
much  as  the  name  of  Europe. 

One  of  the  most  remarkable  aspects  of  the  insurrec- 
tion is  the  religious  character  that  its  chiefs  have  sought 
from  its  very  commencement  to  impress  upon  it.  Every 
one  must  be  struck  with  the  new  doctrines  with  which 
the  proclamations  and  manifestoes  of  the  Pretender  and 
his  generals  have  been  filled.  The  unity  of  God  has 
been  distinctly  expressed;  and  around  this  fundamental 
dogma  have  been  grouped  a  number  of  ideas  borrowed 
from  the  Old  and  New  Testament.  War  has  been  de- 
clared at  the  same  time  to  idolatry  and  to  the  Tartar 
dynasty ;  for  after  having  defeated  the  imperial  troops, 
and  overthrown  the  authority  of  the  Mandarins,  the  in- 
surgents have  never  failed  to  destroy  the  pagodas  and 
massacre  the  Bonzes. 

As  soon  as  these  facts  became  known  in  Europe,  it 
was  eagerly  proclaimed  every  where,  that  the  Chinese 
nation  had  decided  on  embracing  Christianity,  and  tke 
Bible  Society  did  not  fail  to  claim  the  merit  and  glory 
of  this  marvelous  conversion. 

We  do  not,  however,  give  the  slightest  credit  to  the 
alleged  Christianity  of  the  insurgents,  and  the  religious 
and  mystical  sentiments  expressed  in  these  manifestoes 
inspire  us  with  no  great  confidence.  In  the  second 
place,  it  is  by  no  means  necessary  to  have  recourse  to 


AUTHOR'S  PREFACE.  xi 

the  Protestant  Propaganda  to  account  for  the  more  o. 
less  Christian  ideas  remarked  in  the  proclamations  of  the 
revolutionary  Chinese.  There  exist  in  all  the  provinces 
a  very  considerable  number  of  Mussulmans,  who  have 
their  Koran  and  their  mosques.  It  is  to  be  presumed 
that  these  Mohammedans,  who  have  already  several  times 
attempted  to  overthrow  the  Tartar  dynasty,  and  have 
always  distinguished  themselves  by  a  violent  opposition 
to  the  Government,  would  have  thrown  themselves  with 
ardor  into  the  ranks  of  the  insurrection.  Many  of 
these  must  have  become  generals,  and  have  mingled 
in  the  councils  of  Tien-te.  It  is  therefore  not  wonder- 
ful to  find  among  them  the  doctrine  of  the  unity  of  God, 
and  other  ideas  of  Biblical  origin,  though  whimsically 
expressed. 

The  Chinese  have  also  for  a  long  time  had  at  their 
command  a  precious .  collection  of  books  of  Christian 
doctrine,  composed  by  the  ancient  missionaries,  and 
which,  even  in  a  purely  literary  point  of  view,  are  much 
esteemed  in  the  Empire..  These  books  are  diffused  in 
great  numbers  throughout  all  the  provinces,  and  it  is 
more  probable  that  the  Chinese  innovators  have  drawn 
the  ideas  in  question  from  these  sources  than  from  the 
Bibles  prudently  deposited  by  the  Methodists  on  the 
sea-shore. 

The  new  faith  proclaimed  by  the  insurrectional  gov- 
ernment, though  vague  and  ill-defined,  does  neverthe- 
less, it  must  be  acknowledged,  indicate  great  progress ; 
it  is  an  immense  step  in  the  path  that  leads  to  the  truth. 
This  initiation  of  China  into  ideas  so  opposed  to  the 
skepticism  of  the  masses,  and  their  coarse  tendencies,  is, 
perhaps,  a  symptom  of  that  mysterious  march  of  all 
nations  toward  unity,  which  is  spoken  of  by  Count  de 
Maistre,  and  which,  according  to  the  expression  which 
he  borrows  from  the  sacred  writings,  we  ought  to  "sa- 


xii  AUTHOR'S  PREFACE. 

lute  from  afar;''*  but  for  the  present  it  appears  to  us 
cliflicult  to  see  in  the  chief  of  this  Chinese  insurrection 
any  thing  else  than  a  kind  of  Chinese  Mohammed,  seek- 
ing to  establish  his  power  by  fire  and  sword,  and  crying 
to  his  fanatical  partisans — "  There  is  no  god  but  God, 
and  Tien-te  is  the  younger  brother  of  Jesus  Christ." 

And  now,  what  will  be  the  result  of  this  Chinese  in- 
surrection ?  Will  its  promoters  succeed  in  their  design 
of  establishing  a  new  dynasty,  and  a  new  worship,  more 
in  harmony  with  their  lately  adopted  faith?  Or  will 
the  Son  of  Heaven  have  power  to  re-establish  the  throne 
so  roughly  shaken  ?  The  recent  course  of  events  is  too 
imperfectly  known  to  us,  and  appears  also  too  little  de- 
cisive, to  enable  us  to  determine  these  questions. 

Yet,  notwithstanding  the  impossibility  of  forming 
any  well-grounded  opinion  on  the  probable  issue  of  the 
struggle,  the  journalists  of  Europe  have  declared  that 
were  the  Tartar  dynasty  once  overthrown,  the  nation 
would  merely  return  into  its  traditional  course.  It 
seems  to  us  that  this  is  an  error.  What  is  called  the 
Chinese  system  has  really  no  existence ;  for  this  ex- 
pres^ion  can  be  understood  in  no  other  sense  than  by 
supposing  it  opposed  to  a  Tartar  system.  Now  there 
is  not,  and  never  was  a  Tartar  system.  The  Mantchoo 
race  has,  indeed,  imposed  its  yoke  upon  China,  but  has 
had  scarcely  any  influence  on  the  Chinese  mind ;  it  has 
not  been  able  to  do  much  more  than  introduce  some 
slight  modifications  into  the  national  costume,  and  force 
the  conquered  people  to  shave  their  heads  and  wear  a 
tail.  The  Chinese  have  been  governed  mostly  by  the 
same  institutions  after  as  before  the  conquest;  they 
have  always  remained  faithful  to  the  traditions  of  their 
ancestors,  and  have,  in  fact,  in  a  great  measure,  ab- 
sorl  it-el  the  Tartar  race,  and  imposed  upon  it  their  own 
*  Soirees  de  St.  Petersburg — Premier  Kntrctien. 


AUTHOR'S  PREFACE.  xiii 

manners  and  civilization.  They  have  even  succeeded 
in  nearly  extinguishing  the  Mantchoo  language,  and 
replacing  it  by  their  own.  They  have  nullified  the 
Tartar  action  on  the  Empire,  by  engrossing  the  greater 
part  of  the  offices  that  stand  between  the  governors  and 
the  governed.  Almost  all  employments,  in  fact,  if  we 
except  the  chief  military  posts,  and  the  highest  dignities 
of  the  State,  have  become  the  exclusive  inheritance  of 
the  Chinese,  who  possess,  more  frequently  than  the 
Tartars,  the  special  kinds  of  knowledge  necessary  to  fill 
them.  As  for  the  Tartars,  isolated  and  lost  in  the  im- 
mensity of  the  Empire,  they  have  retained  the  privilege 
of  watching  over  the  security  of  the  frontier,  occupying 
the  fortified  places,  and  mounting  guard  at  the  gates  of 
the  imperial  palace. 

It  is  not  at  all  surprising  that  the  state  of  affairs  in 
China  should  have  resisted  the  Mantchoo  invasion,  and 
should  not  have  been  in  the  slightest  degree  altered  by 
the  accession  of  a  foreign  dynasty.  China  differs  in 
this,  as  in  other  respects,  widely  from  Europe.  The 
countless  revolutions  and  political  convulsions  of  which 
it  has  been  the  theatre  have  destroyed  nothing,  and  for 
the  simple  reason,  that  one  of  the  most  distinctive  feat- 
ures of  the  Chinese  character  is  a  profound,  in  some 
measure  religious,  veneration  for  ancient  institutions, 
and  all  things  ancient.  After  every  successive  revolu- 
tion this  extraordinary  people  has  applied  itself  to  re- 
constitute the  past,  and  recall  the  antique  traditions,  in 
order  not  to  depart  from  the  rites  established  by  their 
ancestors,  and  this  is  one  of  the  circumstances  that  may 
serve  to  explain  how  this  nation,  which  at  so  early  a 
period  attained  so  remarkable  a  degree  of  civilization, 
has  remained  stationary  and  made  no  progress  for  cen- 
turies. 

Can  it  be  hoped,  nevertheless,  that  the  present  insur- 


Xiv  Al'TIIOK'S  I'KEFACE. 

rection  will  bring  any  modification  in  this  state  of  tilings  ? 
Wr  must  be  permitted  to  doubt  this.  It  is  even  prob- 
able that  the  unsympathizing  disposition  of  the  Chinese 
toward  the  nations  of  the  West  will  remain  what  it  has 
always  been.  China  is  far  from  being  open  ;  and  what- 
ever may  be  said,  we  believe  that  our  missions  have 
very  little  to  hope  there.  We  must  not  forget,  in  fact, 
that  Christianity  is  in  no  way  concerned  in  the  crisis 
which  the  Empire  is  now  passing  through.  The  Chris- 
tians, too  wise  and  prudent  to  hoist  a  political  standard, 
are  also  too  few  in  number  to  exercise  any  sensible 
influence  on  the  affairs  of  the  country,  and  they  have 
remained  neutral.  For  this  reason  they  have  become 
equally  suspected  by  both  parties,  and  we  fear  will  be 
hereafter  equally  exposed  to  punishment,  which-ever 
side  may  be  ultimately  victorious.  Should  the  Mant- 
choo  Government  triumph  over  the  insurrection,  which 
already  more  than  once  has  displayed  the  cross  upon  its 
standards,  it  will  have  no  mercy  on  the  Christians,  and 
this  long  struggle  will  have  only  served  to  redouble  its 
suspicions  and  embitter  its  wrath ;  if,  on  the  contrary, 
Tien-te  should  gain  the  victory,  and  succeed  in  driving 
out  the  ancient  conquerors  of  China,  since  he  claims  not 
only  to  found  a  new  dynasty,  but  also  a  new  worship, 
lie  will,  in  the  intoxication  of  victory,  break  through 
every  obstacle  that  may  oppose  his  projects. 

Thus  the  conclusion  of  the  civil  war  may  be  to  the 
Christians  the  signal  of  a  new  persecution.  These  ter- 
rible trials  need  not,  indeed,  induce  us  to  despair  of  the 
future  prospects  of  Christianity  in  China :  for  we  know 
that  the  Almighty  rules  the  nations  at  his  pleasure,  that 
He  can,  when  He  pleases,  bring  good  out  of  evil,  and 
that  often,  where  men  think  all  is  lost,  it  is  then  pre- 
cisely that  all  is  saved. 

In  fact,    notwithstanding  the  worship  professed  by 


AUTHOR'S  PREFACE.  xv 

the  Chinese  for  their  ancient  institutions — if  circum- 
stances should  at  length  force  the  European  element  to 
quit  its  neutrality,  and  mingle  in  the  affairs  of  the 
Celestial  Empire,  this  intervention  would  probably  be 
the  source  of  remarkable  changes,  and  might  gradually 
produce  a  complete  transformation  of  China.  It  may 
be  even,  apart  from  the  hypothesis  of  an  intervention, 
that  the  new  ideas  introduced  by  the  revolutionary  Chi- 
nese will  of  themselves  prove  active  enough  to  exercise 
considerable  influence  over  the  destinies  of  the  Empire. 
Then  will  regenerated  China  assume  a  new  aspect,  and 
who  knows  whether  it  may  not  ultimately  succeed  in 
placing  itself  on  a  level  with  European  nations  ? 

These  prospects,  uncertain  as  they  are,  have  encour- 
aged us  in  the  execution  of  our  task.  The  moment,  in 
fact,  when  the  Tartar-Mantchoo  dynasty  appears  to  be 
tottering  to  its  fall,  and  China  on  the  eve  of  a  great 
social  and  political  transformation,  is  the  most  suitable 
for  saying  what  we  know  concerning  this  great  Empire. 
Should  it  be  destined  to  undergo  a  total  change,  we 
shall  have  contributed  to  preserve  the  memory  of  what 
it  was,  and  to  rescue  from  oblivion  those  ancient  cus- 
toms which  have  rendered  it  in  our  own  day  an  enigma 
to  Europe.  While  the  insurrection  is  proceeding  in 
its  work  of  demolition,  we  will  labor  in  construction ; 
and  if  we  can  succeed  in  conveying  an  exact  idea  of 
Chinese  society,  as  it  appeared  to  us  in  the  course  of 
our  long  peregrinations,  our  object  will  have  been  at- 
tained", and  we  shall  have  nothing  more  to  say  than,  as 
the  authors  of  former  days  used  to  do,  "  Soli  Deo  honos 
ct  gloria." 

In  our  former  work,  "Recollections  of  a  Journey," 
we  related  our  travels  across  the  deserts  of  Tartary, 
and  the  incidents  of  our  residence  in  Thibet — a  resi- 
dence shortened  by  the  ill-will  of  Chinese  politicians, 


xvi  At'THOH'S    PllKFACK. 

and  finally,  our  return  to  China,  under  the  escort  of 
Mandarins. 

We  are  now  about  to  resume  our  narrative  where 
we  then  laid  it  down ;  that  is  to  say,  from  the  moment 
when,  having  just  crossed  the  frontiers  of  China,  we 
were  carried  by  our  conductors  toward  the  capital  of 
Sse-tchouen  to  be  there  brought  to  trial. 

This  second  part  of  our  narrative  will  turn  exclusive- 
ly upon  China,  and  we  will  endeavor  to  correct  as  much 
as  possible  the  erroneous  and  absurd  ideas  that  have 
prevailed  from  time  immemorial  concerning  the  Chinese 
people.  The  efforts  made  by  learned  Orientalists,  and 
principally  by  M.  Abel  Remusat,  to  rectify  the  errors 
of  Europeans  on  that  subject,  have  not  had  all  the  suc- 
cess they  merited,  for  the  most  contradictory  statements 
are  constantly  being  uttered  and  printed  concerning  them. 
It  is  not  difficult  to  trace  these  errors  and  contradictions 
to  their  sources,  in  the  accounts  published  at  various 
epochs  by  those  who  have  penetrated  into  China,  and 
also  by  those  who  have  never  set  foot  in  it. 

When,  in  the  16th  century,  the  Catholic  missionaries 
arrived,  bearing  the  message  of  the  Gospel  to  the  in- 
numerable nations  who  form  collectively  the  Chinese 
Empire,  the  spectacle  that  presented  itself  to  their  ob- 
servation was  calculated  to  strike  them  with  astonish- 
ment, and  even  with  admiration.  Europe,  which  they 
had  just  quitted,  was  in  the  convulsions  of  intellectual 
and  political  anarchy.  The  arts,  industry,  commerce, 
the  general  aspect  of  cities  and  their  population,  was 
totally  different  from  what  we  see  at  the  present  day. 
The  West  had  scarcely  entered  on  the  patli  of  material 
civilization.  China,  on  the  contrary,  stood  in  some 
measure  at  the  zenith  of  her  prosperity.  Her  political 
and  civil  institutions  worked  with  admirable  regularity. 
The  Emperor  and  his  Mandarins  were  truly  the  "Fa- 


AUTHOR'S  PREFACE.  xvii 

ther  and  Mother"*  of  the  people,  and  by  both  high  and 
low  the  laws  were  faithfully  observed.  The  imagina- 
tions of  the  missionaries  could  not  but  be  powerfully 
affected  by  this  immense  Empire,  with  its  numerous 
and  orderly  population,  its  fields  so  skillfully  cultivated, 
its  great  cities,  its  magnificent  rivers,  its  fine  system  of 
canals,  and  its  entire  and  prosperous  civilization.  The 
comparison  was  certainly  at  that  time  not  to  the  ad- 
vantage of  Europe,  and  the  missionaries  were  inclined 
to  admire  every  thing  they  saw  in  the  new  country  of 
their  adoption. 

They  often  exaggerated  what  was  good  in  it,  and  they 
did  not  see  the  accompanying  evil,  and  thus  they  have 
often  published,  in  perfect  good  faith,  descriptions  of 
China  that  were  much  too  flattering  to  be  correct. 

Modern  missionaries  have  perhaps  fallen  into  the  con- 
trary extreme ;  Europe  has  been  of  late  years  marching 
from  progress  to  progress,  and  almost  every  passing  day 
has  been  signalized  by  some  new  discovery ;  China,  on 
the  contrary,  is  in  a  state  of  decay ;  the  vices  that  dis- 
figured its  ancient  institutions  have  increased,  and  what- 
ever good  may  have  been  mingled  in  them  has  almost 
wholly  disappeared.  It  has  happened,  therefore,  that 
the  missionaries,  setting  out  with  magnificent  ideas  of 
the  splendor  of  Chinese  civilization,  and  finding  the  coun- 
try really  full  of  disorder  and  misery,  have  come  to  con- 
clusions respecting  it  the  very  reverse  of  those  formed 
by  their  predecessors  three  centuries  ago.  Under  the 
influence  of  these  sentiments,  they  have  given  us  pic- 
tures of  China  drawn  in  gloomy  colors.  They  have, 
without  intending  it,  exaggerated  its  evils,  as  their  pre- 
decessors had  exaggerated  what  was  good;  and  these 
different  estimates  have  produced  contradictory  accounts, 

*  A  title  by  which  in  China  the  representatives  of  authority  are  des- 
ignated. 


xviii  AUTHOR'S  PllEFACE. 

which  were  not  likely  to  throw  much  clear  light  on  the 
facts  of  the  case.  Mere  tourists,  too,  have  of  course  fur- 
nished their  contingent  to  increase  the  confusion. 

Few  of  the  travelers  who  have  been  attracted  either 
by  curiosity  or  interest  to  visit  the  Chinese  shore,  have 
not  felt  the  desire  to  make  the  fact  known  to  the  world, 
at  least  through  the  newspapers.  They  have  seen  little, 
indeed,  but  that  has  not  prevented  them  from  writing 
much,  and  often  from  slandering  the  Chinese,  for  no 
other  reason  than  that  the  missionaries  formerly  over- 
praised them.  Very  frequently  they  have  drawn  largely 
in  their  writings  from  the  accounts  of  embassies,  which 
unfortunately  are  regarded  as  great  authorities,  although 
M.  Abel  Remusat  has  more  than  once  endeavored  to 
reduce  them  to  their  just  value.  "  The  ideas  unfavor- 
able to  the  Chinese,"  says  this  skillful  and  impartial 
critic,  "  are  not  new,  but  they  have  been  recently  dif- 
fused and  credited.  They  are  partly  due  to  the  authors 
of  the  Narratives  of  the  Dutch  and  the  two  English 
Embassies." 

"  The  missionaries  had  boasted  so  much  of  Chinese 
manners  and  Chinese  policy,  that  in  order  to  say  some- 
thing new  on  the  subject,  it  was  necessary  to  take  the 
other  side.  There  were  also  many  persons  disposed  to 
believe  that,  as  they  were  professedly  religious  men,  they 
had  yielded  in  their  writings  to  the  prejudices  of  then- 
profession,  and  the  interests  of  their  calling.  Lay  ob- 
servers are  much  less  suspected,  and  in  their  eyes  a 
missionary  is  hardly  a  traveler.  How  could  a  man  who 
was  neither  a  Jesuit  nor  a  Dominican  fail  to  be  a  model 
of  veracity  and  impartiality  ? 

"  Nevertheless,  if  we  consider  the  matter  a  little  more 
attentively,  we  shall  see  that  the  travelers,  on  whom  so 
much  reliance  has  been  placed,  have  not  quite  as  many 
claims  to  confidence  as  has  been  supposed.  No  one  of 


AUTHOR'S  PREFACE.  xix 

them  was  acquainted  with  the  language  of  the  country, 
while  the  Jesuits  could  even  write  in  Chinese,  so  as  to 
equal  the  best  native  literati.  No  one  of  them  ever  saw 
the  Chinese  otherwise  than  on  occasions  of  ceremony,  iw 
visits  of  etiquette,  or  at  festivals  strictly  regulated  by 
the  '  Rites,'  while  the  missionaries  made  their  way  every 
where,  from  the  Imperial  Court  to  the  most  remote  prov-N 
inces,  and  the  most  humble  villages.  These  travelers 
never  fail  to  speak  very  well  of  the  productions  of  the 
country,  the  manners  of  the  inhabitants,  the  genius  of 
the  Government;  for  they  had  under  their  eyes,  while 
writing  their  narrative  of  their  travels,  the  collection  of 
*  Lettres  Edifiantes,'1  the  compilation  of  Duhalde,  and 
the  memoirs  of  the  missionaries.  You  never  find,  there- 
fore, an  idea  of  any  importance  in  one  that  has  escaped 
the  others ;  for  they  have  copied  faithfully,  and  that  was 
the  best  thing  they  could  do.  What  could  the  most 
able  men  have  said  in  their  place  ? 

"  The  situation  of  travelers  in  China  is  not  usually 
an  enviable  one.  At  their  departure  from  Canton  they 
are  imprisoned  in  closed  boats ;  they  are  guarded  care- 
fully from  sight  all  along  the  great  canal ;  they  are 
what  we  may  call  put  under  arrest  immediately  on  their 
arrival  at  Pekin ;  and,  after  two  or  three  official  recep- 
tions and  interrogatories,  they  are  hastily  sent  back 
again.  As  they  are  not  allowed  the  slightest  commu- 
nication with  the  outer  world,  they  can  really  describe 
from  their  own  knowledge  nothing  more  than  the  hedge 
of  soldiers  by  which  they  have  been  surrounded,  the 
songs  of  the  boatmen  who  have  accompanied  them,  the 
formalities  employed  by  the  inspectors  who  have  search- 
ed them,  and  the  evolutions  of  the  grandees  who  pros- 
trated themselves  with  them  before  the  Son  of  Heaven. 
The  history  of  the  whole  affair  has  been  given  by  one 
of  these  travelers  with  as  much  naivete  as  precision.  He 


xx  AUTHOK'S    PKKFACE. 

says,  *  They  entered  Pekin  like  beggars,  staid  in  it  like 
prisoners,  and  were  driven  from  it  like  thieves.'* 

"  This  kind  of  reception,  quite  conformable  to  the  laws 
of  the  Empire,  explains  very  well  the  feeling  of  aversion 
to  China  mostly  perceptible  in  these  narratives.  The 
writers  have  enjoyed  neither  freedom  nor  pleasure  there, 
but  have  met  with  troublesome  customs,  inconvenient 
furniture,  and  dishes  that  were  not  to  their  taste,  and 
bad  dinners  and  bad  lodgings  will  leave  unpleasant  re- 
collections in  the  most  impartial  minds,  "f 

It  is  assuredly  not  by  traversing  the  country  in  thia 
fashion,  or  by  residing  some  time  in  a  port  half  Euro- 
peanized,  that  it  is  possible  to  become  acquainted  with 
Chinese  society.  For  that  you  must  be  in  some  meas- 
ure identified  with  the  life  of  the  Chinese ;  you  must 
have  lived  long  among  them,  and  have  almost  become 
a  Chinese  yourself.  This  is  what  we  did  for  a  period 
of  fourteen  years,  and  we  are  therefore  in  a  position  to 
speak  with  confidence  concerning  an  Empire  that  we 
had  adopted  as  a  second  country,  and  that  we  entered 
without  thinking  of  a  return.  Circumstances  have  also 
greatly  favored  us  in  our  observations,  for  we  have 
been  enabled  to  traverse  several  times  the  various  pro- 
vinces of  the  Empire,  and  compare  them  with  each  other, 
as  well  as  to  become  initiated  into  the  manners  of  the 
Chinese  of  the  highest  class,  in  the  midst  of  which  we 
constantly  lived  during  our  journey  from  the  frontiers 
of  Thibet  to  Canton. 

Our  readers  must  not,  however,  expect  to  find  in  our 
narrative  a  great  number  of  those  edifying  details  which 
have  so  great  a  charm  for  pious  and  believing  souls, 
and  which,  perhaps,  they  had  a  right  to  look  for  in  the 
pages  of  a  missionary. 

*  Account  of  the  Embassy  of  Lord  Macartney, 
t  Melanges  1'ostliumcs,  p.  .ICG. 


AUTHOR'S   PREFACE.  xxi 

It  is  our  purpose  to  address  readers  of  all  opinions, 
and  to  make  China  known  to  all ;  not  merely  to  preserve 
the  memory  of  facts  connected  with  our  mission.  These 
interesting  particulars  must  be  sought  in  the  "Annals 
of  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith,"  those  veritable  bulle- 
tins of  the  Church  militant  in  which  are  recorded  the  acts 
of  apostles,  the  virtues  of  neophytes,  and  the  struggles 
and  sufferings  of  martyrs.  Our  object  in  these  volumes 
lias  been  to  describe  the  theatre  of  this  peaceful  warfare, 
and  to  make  known  the  populations  that  the  Church  of 
God  desires  to  subject  to  her  rule,  and  bring  within  her 
fold.  We  hope  it  will  then  be  more  easy  to  understand 
the  long  struggles  of  Christianity  in  China,  and  to  appre- 
ciate its  victories. 

One  word  more.  Many  things  in  these  volumes  will 
perhaps  appear  improbable,  especially  if  looked  at  merely 
with  European  ideas,  and  without  placing  ourselves — if 
we  may  be  permitted  the  expression — in  the  Chinese 
point  of  view. 

We  trust,  however,  that  our  readers  will  give  us 
credit  for  veracity,  and  dispense  us  from  the  necessity 
of  employing  the  language  that  the  celebrated  Marco 
Polo  thought  himself  obliged  to  address  to  his  readers, 
in  the  beginning  of  his  interesting  narrative : 

"  And  we  will  put  down  the  things  we  have  seen  as 
seen,  and  the  things  we  have  heard  as  heard,  in  order 
that  our  book  may  be  honest  and  true  without  any  lie, 
and  that  every  one  that  may  read  or  hear  this  book  may 
believe  it ;  for  all  the  things  it  contains  are  true."* 

*  Recueil  des  Voyages  de  la  Socie'te  de  Geographic. — Voyage  dc 
Marco  Polo,  1.  i.  p.  2. 

PARIS,  24th  May,  1354. 


CONTENTS 


THE    FIRST    VOLUME. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Arrangements  for  our  Departure — New  Costume — Departure  from  Ta- 
tsien-lou — Farewell  of  our  Thibetan  Escort — Aspect  of  the  Road — 
Suspension-bridge  over  the  River  Lou — Family  of  our  Conductor — 
Palanquin-bearers — Long  Caravans  of  Porters — Riot  on  our  account 
in  the  Town  of  Ya-tcheou — Country  assumes  definitively  a  Chinese 
Character — Triumphal  Arches  and  Monuments  erected  in  honor  of 
Virgins  and  Widows — Communal  Palaces  for  traveling  Mandarins — 
Discovery  of  a  Christian  Family — Aristocracy  of  Khioung-tchepu — 
Introduction  and  Ravages  of  Opium  in  China — Magnificent  Monas- 
tery of  Bonzes — Interview  with  a  Christian  of  the  Capital  of  Sse- 
tchouen — Arrival  at  Tching-tou-fou 27 

CHAPTER,  II. 

Conversation  with  the  Prefect  of  the  Garden  of  Flowers — Lodgings  in 
the  Court  of  Justice — Invitation  to  Dinner  with  the  two  Prefects  of 
the  Town — Conversation  with  two  Persons  of  Distinction — Two 
Mandarins  of  Honor  assigned  to  amuse  us — Solemn  Judgment  be- 
fore the  assembled  Tribunals — Various  Incidents  of  the  Trial — Re- 
port addressed  to  the  Emperor  concerning  us,  and  the  Emperor's  An- 
swer— Imperial  Edicts  in  favor  of  Christians,  obtained  by  the  French 
Embassy  in  China — Insufficiency  of  these  Edicts — Appearance  before 
the  Viceroy — Portrait  of  this  Personage — Dispatch  of  the  Viceroy  to 
the  Emperor — Conversation  with  the  Viceroy 60 

CHAPTER  III. 

Tching-tou-fou,  the  Capital  of  the  Province  of  Sse-tchouen — Numerous 
Visits  of  Mandarins — Constitutive  Principle  of  the  Chinese  Govern- 
ment— The  Emperor — Curious  Organization  of  Chinese  Nobility — 
Central  Administration  of  Pekin — The  six  Sovereign  Courts — Im- 
perial Academy — Moniteur  of  Pekin — Provincial  Gazettes — Admin- 
istration of  the  Provinces — Rapacity  of  the  Mandarins — Venality  of 


xxiv  CONTENTS. 

Justice — Family  of  a  Magistrate — His  two  Sons — Their  Tutor — Pri- 
mary Instruction  very  widely  diffused  in  ( 'hina — Chinese  Urbanity — 
System  of  Instruction — Elementary  Books — The  four  Classical  Books 
— The  five  Sacred  Books — Arrangements  for  our  Departure — Last 
Visit  to  the  Viceroy 100 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Departure  from  Tching-tou-fou — Letter  thrown  into  our  I'alanquin,  at 
the  Gate  of  the  Town — Christianity  in  China — Its  Introduction  in 
the  fifth  and  sixth  Centuries — Monument  and  Inscription  at  Si-ngan- 
fou — Progress  of  Christianity  in  the  fourteenth  Century — Arrival  of 
the  Portuguese  in  China — Macao — Father  Mathew  Ricci — Depart- 
ure of  the  first  Chinese  Missionaries — Prosperity  of  the  Religion 
under  the  Emperor  Khang-hi  —  Persecution  under  the  Emperor 
Young-tching — Abandonment  of  the  Missions — Numerous  Depart- 
ures of  the  new  Missionaries — Glance  at  the  Present  State  of  Chris- 
tianity in  China — Motives  of  Hostility  in  the  Government  toward 
Christians — Indifferentism  of  the  Chinese  in  matters  of  Religion — 
Honors  paid  to  us  on  our  Road — Halt  at  a  Communal  Palace — Trick- 
ery on  the  part  of  Master  Ting — Navigation  of  the  Blue  River — Ar- 
rival at  Kien-tcheou 1.11 

CHAPTER  V. 

Disputes  with  the  Mandarins  of  Kien-tcheou — Intrigues  to  prevent  us 
from  going  to  the  Communal  Palace — Magnificence  of  this  Palace — 
The  Garden  of  Sse-ma-kouang — Chinese  Kitchen — State  of  the 
Roads  and  Channels  of  Communication — Some  Productions  of  the 
Province  of  Sse-tehoucn — Use  of  Tobacco,  in  Smoking  and  taking 
Snuff — Tchoung-tching,  a  Town  of  the  first  Order — Ceremonies 
observed  by  the  Chinese  in  Visits  and  Conversations  of  Etiquette- 
Nocturnal  Apparition — Watchmen  and  Criers  of  the  Town — Fires 
in  China — The  Addition  of  a  Military  Mandarin  to  our  Escort — 
Tchang-cheou-hien,  a  Town  of  the  third  Order — Release  of  three 
Christian  Prisoners — Superstitious  Practices  to  obtain  Rain — The 
Dragon  of  Rain  exiled  by  the  Emperor 194 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Bad  and  dangerous  Road — Leang-chan,  a  Town  of  the  third  Order — 
Disputes  between  our  Conductors  and  the  Mandarins  of  Leang-chan 
— A  Day  of  Rest — Numerous  Visits  of  Christians — A  Military  Man- 
darin of  our  Escort  compromises  himself — He  is  excluded  from  our 
Table — Great  Trial  presided  over  by  the  Missionaries — Details  «.f 
this  singular  Trial — Acquittal  of  a  Christian,  and  Condemnation  of 
a  .Mandarin — Triumphal  Departure  from  Leang-chan — Servitude  and 
abject  State  of  Women  in  China — Their  Restoration  by  Christianity 
Ting  i!i-f!.iivs  tli.it  Women  have  no  Souls — Induei:-  <•  <  f 


CONTENTS.  xxv 

Women  in  the  Conversion  of  Nations — Arrival  at  Yao-tchang — Hotel 
of  the  Beatitudes — Lodgings  in  a  Theatre — Navigation  of  the  Blue 
Hirer — Plays  and  Players  in  China 236 

CHAPTER  VII. 

Temple  of  Literary  Composition — Quarrel  with  a  Doctor — A  Citizen 
in  the  Cangue — His  Deliverance — Visit  to  the  Tribunal  of  Ou-chan 
— The  Prefect  and  Military  Commandant  of  Ou-chan — Medical  Ju- 
risprudence of  the  Chinese — Inspection  of  Dead  Bodies — Frequent 
Suicides  in  China — Considerations  on  this  subject — Singular  Char- 
acter of  Chinese  Politeness — The  Boundaries  which  separate  the 
Frontier  of  Ssc-tchouen  from  that  of  Hou-pe' — Glance  over  Sse- 
tchouen — Its  principal  Productions — Character  of  its  Inhabitants — 
Kouang-ti,  God  of  War,  and  Patron  of  the  Mantchou  Dynasty — Offi- 
cial Worship  paid  to  him — Wells  of  Salt  and  Fire — State  of  Scien- 
tific Knowledge  among  the  Chinese  —  State  of  Christianity  in  the 
Province  of  Sse-tchouen 277 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

Arrival  at  Pa-toung,  a  Frontier  Town  of  Hou-pe — Literary  Examina- 
tions— Character  of  the  Chinese  Bachelor — Condition  of  Writers — 
Written  Language — Spoken  Language — Glance  at  Chinese  Litera- 
ture— The  Celestial  Empire  an  immense  Library — Study  of  Chinese 
in  Europe — Embarkation  on  the  Blue  River — Salt  Custom-house — 
Smuggling  Mandarin — Dispute  with  the  Prefect  of  I-tchang-fou — A 
Mandarin  wishes  to  put  us  in  Chains — System  of  Customs  in  China — 
I-tou-hien,  a  Town  of  the  third  Class — Amiable  and  interesting 
Magistrate  of  that  Town — Geographical  Knowledge  of  the  Chinese — 
Narrative  of  an  Arab  who  traveled  in  China,  in  the  ninth  Century 
before  the  Christian  Era .". 312 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Names  given  by  the  Chinese  to  the  Kingdoms  of  Europe — Origin  of 
the  Words  China  and  the  Chinese  —  Explanation  of  the  various 
Names  that  the  Chinese  give  to  their  Empire — Good  and  venerable 
Prefect  of  Song-tche-hien  —  Portrait  of  the  ancient  Mandarins — 
Holy  Instructions  of  the  Emperors — A  Khorassanian  at  the  Imperial 
Court — Details  concerning  the  Manners  of  the  Ancient  Chinese — 
Causes  of  the  Decay  of  China — Means  employed  by  the  Mantchou 
Dynasty  to  consolidate  its  Power — Foreigners  not  always  excluded 
from  China — Bad  Policy  of  the  Government  —  General  Presenti- 
ment of  a  Revolution — Navigation  on  the  Blue  River— Tempest — 
Loss  of  Provisions — Running  aground  three  Times — Shipwreck — 
The  shipwrecked 349 

VOL.  I.— B 


xxvi  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  X. 

Chinese  City  in  a  State  of  Siege — Nautical  Sports  on  the  Blue  River — 
Quarrel  between  Victors  and  Vanquished — Civil  War  at  Kin-tcheou 
— Glance  at  the  military  Strength  of  the  Chinese  Empire — Discovery 
of  two  Soldiers  in  the  Residence  of  the  Missionary — Description  of 
an  extraordinary  Review  of  Troops — Policy  of  the  Mantchou  Dy- 
nasty with  respect  to  Soldiers — Chinese  Navy — Cause  of  the  Want 
of  Bravery  in  the  Chinese  during  the  last  War  with  the  English — 
Resources  of  the  Empire  for  the  Formation  of  a  good  Army  and  a 
powerful  Navy — A  Great  Reformer  needed — Departure  from  Kin- 
tcheou — Route  by  Land — Great  Heat — Journey  during  the  Night  by 
Torch  and  Lantern 388 


[It  will  be  observed  that  in  the  Map  a  system  of  writing  Chinese 
names  has  been  followed  different  from  that  of  the  text.  .  In  the  latter 
the  French  orthography  of  M.  Hue  has  been  retained ;  in  the  former 
that  adopted  by  Mr.  Williams  has  been  followed;  both  aim  to  express 
in  our  characters  the  sound  of  the  Chinese  names.  The  terminations 
fou,  tcheou,  and  tsien  found  in  the  text  are  not  inserted  in  the  Map. 
These  terminations  indicate  the  size  of  the  town,ybw  signifying  a  town 
of  the  first  order,  tcheou  one  of  the  second,  tsien  one  of  the  third.] 


A   JOURNEY 

THROUGH     THK 

CHIIESE    EMPIRE. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Arrangements  for  our  Departure — New  Costume — Departure  from  Ta- 
tsien-lou — Farewell  of  our  Thibetan  Escort — Aspect  of  the  Road — 
Suspension-bridge  over  the  River  Lou — Family  of  our  Conductor — 
Palanquin-bearers — Long  Caravans  of  Porters — Riot  on  our  account 
in  the  Town  of  Ya-tcheou — Country  assumes  definitively  a  Chinese 
Character — Triumphal  Arches  and  Monuments  erected  in  honor  of 
Virgins  and  Widows — Communal  Palaces  for  traveling  Mandarins — 
Discovery  of  a  Christian  Family — Aristocracy  of  Khioung-tcheou — 
Introduction  and  Ravages  of  Opium  in  China — Magnificent  Monas- 
tery of  Bonzes — Interview  with  a  Christian  of  the  Capital  of  Ssc- 
tchouen — Arrival  at  Tching-tou-fou. 

Two  years  had  passed  since  we  bade  adieu  to  the 
Christians  of  the  Valley  of  Black  Waters.  With  the 
exception  of  a  residence  of  some  months  in  the  Lama 
convent  of  Koumboum,  and  in  the  bosom  of  the  capital 
of  Buddhism,  we  had  been  since  then  perpetually  jour- 
neying through  the  vast  deserts  of  Tartary  and  over  the 
high  mountains  of  Thibet.  But  these  two  years  of  in- 
expressible fatigue  were  not  sufficient :  we  were  still  far 
from  the  end  of  our  sufferings.  Before  we  could  hope  to 
enjoy  any  repose,  we  had  to  cross  the  frontiers  of  China, 
and  traverse  this  immense  empire  from  west  to  east. 

Formerly,  upon  our  first  entrance  on  the  mission,  we 


28  JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

had  traversed  it  throughout  its  entire  extent  from  north 
to  south ;  but  that  was  secretly,  by  stealth — along  by- 
paths and  in  darkness — pretty  much,  in  fact,  in  the 
fashion  of  bales  of  contraband  goods. 

Now  our  position  was  altogether  different.  We  were 
to  march  openly  in  broad  daylight,  keeping  the  middle 
of  the  Imperial  high  road.  Those  mandarins,  the  very 
sight  of  whom  used  to  throw  us  into  a  cold  shiver,  and 
who  would  have  been  so  extremely  happy  to  put  us  to 
the  torture,  if  we  had  fallen  into  their  hands,  had  now 
to  make  up  their  minds  to  serve  us  for  an  escort,  and  to 
overwhelm  us  with  respect  and  politeness  all  along  the 
road. 

We  were  about  to  become  acquainted,  in  China,  with 
a  civilization  extremely  unlike  that  of  Europe,  but  not 
less  complete  in  its  kind.  The  clijnate,  too,  would  be 
no  longer  the  same,  and  the  means  of  communication 
would  be  greatly  superior  to  those  of  Tartary  and  Thibet. 

No  more  fear  of  snow,  and  rocks,  and  precipices — of 
wild  beasts  and  robbers  of  the  desert.  An  immense 
population,  provisions  in  abundance,  a  richly  varied, 
magnificent  landscape,  luxurious  and  agreeable,  though 
sometimes  whimsical  habitations — this  was  what  we 
might  look  for  during  this  new  and  long  stage  of  our 
journey.  We  knew  the  Chinese,  however,  too  Avell  to 
feel  quite  at  our  ease  in  this  altered  position.  Ki-chan* 
had,  indeed,  given  orders  that  we  should  be  treated 
kindly,  but,  in  fact,  we  were,  after  all,  given  up  to  the 
tender  mercies  of  the  mandarins.  After  having  escaped 
a  thousand  dangers  in  the  wild  countries  that  we  had 
just  passed  through,  we  felt  no  security  that  we  were 
not  to  perish  of  hunger  and  privation  in  the  very  bosom 
of  abundance  and  civilization,  and  we  were  convinced 

*  Chinese  embassador  at  the  Court  of  Lha-ssa,  See  "  Recollections 
of  a  Journey,"  etc.,  vol  ii.  p.  Ii85. 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.  29 

that  our  fate  would  greatly  depend  on  the  attitude  we 
should  assume  from  the  beginning. 

We  have  observed  elsewhere  that  the  Chinese,  and 
especially  the  mandarins,  are  strong  against  the  weak 
and  weak  against  the  strong.  To  domineer  over,  and 
crush  all  around  them,  is  the  object  they  constantly  have 
in  view,  and  to  attain  it  they  have  an  inexhaustible  re- 
source in  their  native  cunning  and  pliability  of  character. 
Once  allow  them  to  get  the  upper  hand,  and  it  is  all  over  c 
with  you;  but  if  you  can  only  succeed  in  mastering 
them,  you  will  find  them  ever  after  as  docile  and  man-/ 
ageable  as  children.  You  may  turn  and  twist  them 
which  way  you  will ;  but  beware  of  showing  yourself 
weak  with  them  for  a  moment,  for  they  must  be  ruled 
with  an  iron  hand.  The  Chinese  mandarins  are  pretty 
much  like  their  own  long  bamboos.  If  one  can  but 
manage  to  get  hold  of  them  in  the  right  way,  they  are 
easily  bent  double  and  kept  so  ;  but  if  for  a  second  you 
let  go,  they  are  up  again  in  a  moment  as  straight  as 
ever.  It  was  on  a  constant  struggle,  therefore,  that  we 
were  about  to  enter — a  struggle  of  every  day,  and  all 
day  long,  from  Ta-tsien-lou  to  Canton.  There  was  no 
middle  course:  we  must  either  submit  to  their  will  or 
make  them  submit  to  ours  ;  and  we  determined  to  adopt 
the  latter  mode  of  proceeding ;  for  we  were  by  no  means 
inclined  to  have  our  long  pilgrimage  terminate  in  some 
ditch  behind  the  ramparts  of  a  Chinese  town  ;*  that  was 

*  Our  fears  were  not  chimerical.  On  our  arrival  at  Macao,  we 
learned  that  a  French  Lazariste,  M.  Carayon,  had  been  recognized  and 
arrested  in  one  of  our  missions  in  the  north  of  China.  According  to 
the  decree  obtained  by  M.  Lagrenee,  a  missionary  could  not  be  con- 
demned and  put  to  death  in  the  same  summary  manner  as  before ;  but 
was  to  be  sent,  in  an  honorable  manner,  to  Macao.  The  honorable  man- 
ner in  which  M.  Carayon  was  sent  to  Canton,  was  in  chains,  and  in  the 
company  of  malefactors ;  and  he  was  exposed  to  such  cruel  ill-treatment 
on  the  way,  that  he  died  veiy  shortly  afterward. 

Another,  an  Italian  missionary,  sent  there  in  the  same  manner,  was 


80  JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

evidently  not  the  martyrdom  that  missionaries  sigh  after. 
In  the  first  place,  we  had  to  maintain  a  long  and  vehe- 
ment dispute  with  the  principal  mandarin  of  Ta-tsien- 
lou,*  who  would  not  consent  that  we  should  continue 
our  journey  in  palanquins :  he  was  obliged  to  give  way, 
however,  thanks  to  the  energy  and  perseverance  of  our 
protests.  For  these  two  years  past  we  had  had  to  be- 
stride horses  of  every  size,  age,  and  quality,  so  that  our 
limbs  longed  at  last  to  stretch  themselves  out  at  ease  in 
a  palanquin. 

After  this  first  triumph,  it  was  necessary  to  revolt 
against  the  decrees  of  the  il  Tribunal  of  Rites,"  on  the 
subject  of  the  costume  that  we  were  to  adopt.  We  had 
said  to  ourselves,  in  every  country  in  the  world,  and 
especially  in  China,  clothes  play  a  very  important  part 
in  the  affairs  of  mankind ;  and  since  we  have  to  inspire 
a  salutary  fear  among  the  Chinese,  it  is  by  no  means  a 
matter  of  indifference  in  what  way  we  are  to  be  dressed. 
We  cast  aside,  therefore,  our  Thibet  costume — the  fright- 
s  ful  wolf-skin  cap,  the  checked  hose,  and  the  long  fur  tu- 
\^_nic,  that  exhaled  so  strong  an  odor  of  beef  and  mutton — 
and  we  got  a  skillful  tailor  to  make  us  some  beautiful 
sky-blue  robes  in  the  newest  fashion  of  Pekin.  We 
provided  ourselves  with  magnificent  black  satin  boots, 
adorned  with  soles  of  dazzling  whiteness.  So  far  the 
aforesaid  Tribunal  of  Rites  had  no  objection ;  but  when 
we  proceeded  to  gird  up  our  loins  with  red  sashes,  and 
cover  our  heads  with  embroidered  yellow  caps,  we  caused 
a  universal  shudder  among  all  beholders,  and  the  emo- 

actually  refused  the  smallest  allowance  of  food,  and  died  of  starvation 
the  very  day  of  his  arrival  at  Canton.  It  would  be  too  long  to  men- 
tion the  names  of  all  the  missionaries  who,  quite  recently,  have  fallen 
victims  to  the  malice  of  the  Chinese  ;  but,  so  lately  as  1851,  M.  Vacher, 
of  the  Foreign  Missions,  was  arrested  in  the  province  of  Yun-tian,  and 
thrown  into  prison,  where  shortly  afterward  lie  was  suffocated. 

*  The  first  town  on  the  Chinese  frontier  that  you  meet  with  in  com- 
ing from  Thibet. 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.  31 

tion  ran  through  the  town  like  an  electric  current,  till  it 
reached  the  civil  and  military  authorities.  They  cried 
aloud  that  the  red  sash  and  the  yellow  cap  were  the  at- 
tributes of  Imperial  Majesty — allowable  only  to  the  fam- 
ily of  the  Emperor,  and  forbidden  to  the  people  under 
pain  of  perpetual  banishment.  On  this  point  the  Tri- 
bunal of  Rites  would  be  inflexible,  and  we  must  reform 
our  costume  accordingly.  We,  on  our  side,  alleged,  that 
being  strangers  traveling  as  such,  and  by  authority,  we 
were  not  bound  to  conform  to  the  ritual  of  the  empire — 
but  had  the  right  of  following  the  fashion  of  our  own 
country,  which  allowed  every  one  to  choose  the  form 
and  color  of  his  garments,  according  to  his  own  fancy. 
They  insisted — they  became  angry — they  flew  into  a 
furious  passion ;  we  remained  calm  and  immovable,  but 
vowing  that  we  would  never  part  with  our  red  sashes 
and  yellow  caps.  Our  obstinacy  was  not  to  be  over- 
come, and  the  mandarins  submitted — as  they  ought 
to  do. 

The  military  mandarin  of  Mussulman  origin,  whom 
we  had  picked  up  at  JLy-tang  after  the  decease  of  the 
Pacificator  of  Kingdoms,*  was  to  escort  us  to  Tching- 
tou,  the  capital  of  the  province  of  Sse-tchouen.  It  had 
been  agreed  that  his  mission  should  end  on  the  frontier, 
but  the  mandarins  of  Ta-tsien-lou  found  us  such  crab- 
bed and  troublesome  customers,  that  they  declined  the 
honor  of  conducting  our  caravan.  The  Mussulman 
seemed  not  at  all  ambitious  of  it ;  but,  like  a  true  dis- 
ciple of  Mohammed,  he  knew  how  to  resign  himself  to 
his  fate,  and  say  calmly,  "It  is  written." 

At  last  we  quitted  Ta-tsien-lou,  to  the  great  satisfac- 
tion of  the  mandarins  of  the  place,  who  had  begun  to 
despair  of  converting  us  to  their  ideas  of  civilization. 
We  kept  the  same  escort  that  we  had  taken  at  JJia-ssa, 
!_  *  See  "  Recollections  of  a  Journey,"  vol.  ii.  p.  398. 


32  JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRIC. 

only  reinforced  by  some  young  recruits  of  the  province, 
commanded  by  a  long,  lean  corporal,  who  with  his  robes 
tucked  up  to  his  middle,  his  legs  naked,  a  large  um- 
brella in  one  hand,  and  a  fan  in  the  other,  had  not,  it 
must  be  owned,  a  very  strikingly  military  appearance. 
As  for  ourselves,  snugly  ensconced  in  our  dear  palan- 
quins, we  were  borne  rapidly  along  by  four  vigorous 
Chinese  bearers,  over  excavations,  rocks,  and  mud 
holes,  and  we  soon  outstripped  our  escort,  who  could 
by  no  means  vie  with  the  bearers  in  strength  and  agility. 

After  marching  five  li*  we  halted;  the  Chinese  set 
down  our  palanquin,  and  invited  us  to  get  out  in  very 
polite  terms,  and  with  a  slight  smile  that  seemed  to  in- 
dicate some  mystery ;  and,  as  soon  as  we  were  out,  we 
were  agreeably  surprised  to  find  behind  a  rocky  hill  the 
Lama  Dchiamdchan,  with  his  little  Thibetan  troop,  f 
These  honest  fellows  had  come  to  meet  us  in  order  to 
bid  us  farewell  once  more  in  the  manner  of  their  coun- 
try. They  had  prepared  a  collation  of  Chinese  pastry, 
preserves,  apricots,  and  rice  wine,  which  they  had 
spread  on  the  grass,  under  the  shade  of  some  large 
trees,  and  we  were  soon  seated  round  it  in  a  mood  of 
mingled  joy  and  sadness.  We  were  happy  to  find  our- 
selves once  more  together,  but  our  joy  was  greatly 
damped  by  the  thought  that  we  were  again  about  to 
separate  and  most  likely  forever.  The  escort  that  we 
had  left  behind  was  not  long  in  coming  up,  and  after 
having  bade  adieu  to  our  dear  Thibetans  and  said  "A.u 
revoir,"  we  again  got  into  our  palanquins. 

Au  revoir — those  words  so  full  of  consolation,  and 
which  so  often  dry  the  tears  of  parting  friends — how 
many  times  had  we  pronounced  them  in  the  sure  and 

*  A  K  is  the  tenth  of  a  French  league. 

t  The  chief  of  the  Thibet  escort  that  had  accompanied  ns  from  Lha- 
ssa  to  the  Chinese  frontier.  See  "Recollections,"  vol.  ii.  j>.  398. 


JOURNEY   THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.  33 

certain  hope  of  seeing  again  one  day  those  to  whom 
they  were  addressed!  How  many  times  in  China,  in 
Tartary,  in  Thibet,  in  Egypt,  in  Palestine,  had  we  ut- 
tered them  to  friends  whom  we  were  to  see  no  more ! 

God  hides  the  future  from  us :  He  will  not  permit  us 
to  know  his  designs  with  respect  to  us — and  it  is  in  ac- 
cordance with  his  infinite  goodness  that  he  does  not, 
for  there  are  separations  that  would  kill  us  if  we  knew 
them  to  be  forever.  These  Thibetans,  to  whom  we 
were  attached  by  so  many  ties,  we  never  saw  again; 
but  we  shall  always  retain  one  great  consolation — we 
can  pray  to  God  for  these  interesting  populations,  and 
petition  that  the  missionaries  charged  to  preach  the 
Gospel  to  them,  may  succeed  in  guiding  them  from  the 
chill  and  darkness  of  Buddhism  to  the  light  and  vivify- 
ing warmth  of  the  Christian  faith. 

The  road  that  we  had  been  following  from  Ta-tsien- 
lou  had  been  constantly  descending,  and  we  soon  found 
ourselves  in  a  deep  and  narrow  valley,  watered  by  a 
limpid  stream,  whose  banks  were  fringed  by  willows 
and  bamboos.  On  either  side  arose,  almost  perpendic- 
ularly, lofty  and  majestic  mountains,  ornamented  with 
stately  trees,  and  an  inexhaustible  variety  of  plants  and 
flowers.  Our  eyes  feasted  on  the  brilliant  colors,  and 
the  exquisite  verdure,  and  were  filled  with  tears  of  de- 
light as  we  inhaled  the  balmy  fragrance  of  the  air:  our 
whole  being  seemed  to  expand  with  rapture.  One  must 
have  lived  for  two  whole  years  amidst  ice  and  snow, 
dreary  arid  mountains  and  sandy  deserts  to  feel  all  the 
intoxicating  charm  of  such  a  landscape,  and  the  deli- 
cious repose  aiforded  by  fresh  green  grass  to  an  eye 
wearied  by  the  dead,  monotonous  whiteness  of  snow. 

The  road  led  along  the  course  of  the  stream.  Some- 
times we  passed  from  one  bank  to  the  other  over  little 
wooden  bridges  covered  with  turf,  and  sometimes  over 


84  JOUKNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

large  stones  thrown  into  the  bed  of  the  rivulet.  But 
nothing  relaxed  the  speed  of  our  bearers ;  on  they  went, 
over  every  obstacle,  and  always  with  the  same  rapidity, 
agility,  and  courage.  Now  and  then  they  made  a  short 
halt  to  wipe  the  sweat  from  their  brows  and  smoke  a 
pipe,  and  then  they  resumed  their  march  with  redoubled 
vigor.  The  narrow  valley  we  were  passing  through 
seemed  but  little  frequented ;  we  met  only  from  time 
to  time  some  parties  of  travelers,  among  whom  it  was 
easy  for  us  to  distinguish  the  vigorous,  energetic,  and 
barbarous  Thibetan  from  the  pallid,  cunning-looking 
faces  of  the  civilized  Chinese.  On  all  sides  we  could 
see  nocks  of  goats  and  long-haired  oxen,  feeding  on  the 
mountain  pastures,  while  countless  birds  warbled  amidst 
the  branches  of  the  trees. 

We  passed  the  first  night  in  an  humble  and  badly  pro- 
vided innj  but  as  the  habitations  we  had  met  with  in 
Thibet  had  not  accustomed  us  to  much  luxury,  we  were 
very  well  pleased  with  what  we  found.  The  miseries 
of  every  kind  that  we  had  suffered,  had  had  the  effect 
of  rendering  us  patient  under  all  the  trials  of  life. 

On  the  following  day,  the  road  became  more  wild  and 
perilous.  As  we  advanced,  the  valley  closed  in,  and 
became  encumbered  with  enormous  masses  of  rock  and 
great  trees  that  had  fallen  from  the  crest  of  the  mount- 
ains. The  stream  that  had  borne  us  company  the  day 
before,  like  a  faithful  friend,  now  gradually  turned  away 
from  us,  and  at  last  disappeared  in  a  deep  gorge.  A 
torrent  that  we  had  heard  roaring  for  a  long  time,  like 
distant  thunder,  suddenly  came  in  sight  from  behind  a 
mountain  and  dashed  itself  furiously  over  the  rocks.  •  We 
followed  it  a  long  time  in  its  erratic  course,  and  saw  it 
descend  from  point  to  point  in  noisy  cascades,  or  trail 
its  greenish  waters  like  a  huge  serpent  into  dark  hollows 
of  the  mountains.  On  this  day  we  had  no  longer  the 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.  ;;5 

pleasure  of  gazing  on  a  peaceful  and  smiling  landscape 
of  trees  and  flowers,  but  this  wild  and  savage  grandeur 
of  nature  was  not  without  its  charms. 

We  left  these  rugged  defiles  at  last  behind  us,  and 
having  crossed  a  broad  valley  called  Hoang-tsao-ping 
(Yellow  Grass  Plains),  where  there  is  a  great  variety 
of  culture  and  vegetation,  we  arrived  at  the  celebrated 
bridge  of  Lou-ting-khaio^  which  we  had  to  cross  on  foot 
and  at  a  slow  pace.  This  bridge  was  built  in  1701.  It 
is  192  feet  long,  and  only  10  wide,  and  is  composed  of  \ 
nine  enormous  iron  chains,  strongly  stretched  from  one  • 
bank  to  the  other,  and  on  which  are  laid  transverse 
planks,  tolerably  well  fitted,  but  movable.  The  river 
Lou,  which  it  crosses,  has  such  a  rapid  current,  that  it 
has  been  found  impossible  to  build  a  bridge  of  any  other 
kind.  The  two  banks  are  very  high,  so  that  when  you 
are  in  the  middle  of  the  bridge,  if  you  look  below  at  the 
swiftly  running  waters,  it  is  prudent  to  keep  fast  hold 
of  the  railing ;  and  as  the  bridge  is  extremely  elastic,  it 
is  necessary  to  walk  very  slowly,  to  avoid  the  risk  of 
pitching  over. 

On  the  other  side  of  the  river  Lou  is  a  little  town, 
where  we  were  received  very  noisily  by  a  great  con- 
course of  people :  it  was  the  native  place  of  our  Mussul- 
man mandarin,  the  conductor  of  the  caravan ;  and  it  was 
decided  that  we  were  to  stop  there  for  a  day.  It  was 
certainly  only  fair  that  the  mandarin,  who  had  passed 
two  years  at  Ly-tang,  on  the  road  to  Thibet,  should 
be  allowed  to  pass  one  day  with  his  family.  The  next 
morning  he  presented  to  us  with  paternal  pride  his  two 
children,  gorgeously  attired,  but  with  faces  so  flushed 
and  surprised,  and  arms  and  legs  apparently  so  stiff 
and  awkward,  that  we  could  not  help  thinking  they 
were  lodged  for  the  first  time  in  these  fine  clothes. 
We  appreciated,  however,  the  courtesy  of  our  mandarin, 


86  JOURNEY   THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EM  TIKE. 

gave  the  little  things  some  sweetmeats  and  kind  words, 
and  caressed  them  as  well  as  we  could,  finding  that  after 
all  they  were  really  very  pretty  and  intelligent;  while 
their  papa,  smiling  at  one  and  the  other,  seemed  quite 
to  expand  with  pleasure. 

I  wish  we  coidd  give  as  good  an  account  of  the  man- 
darin's kitchen  as  of  his  nursery ;  but  perhaps  the  wor- 
thy man  thought  the  having  admired  and  contemplated 
his  offspring  for  two  hours  was  enough  to  satisfy  us, 
and  that  we  should  desire  nothing  more,  for  he  served 
us  up  a  most  detestable  dinner.  This  suggested  to  us 
that  we  had  to  do  with  a  person  who  was  inclined  to 
make  some  little  profit  out  of  our  supplies  on  the  road, 
and  that  if  we  did  not  take  care  it  might  be  likely 
enough  that  famine  and-  death  would  be  found  at  the 
end  of  it.  We  therefore  knitted  our  brows,  and  gave 
our  conductor  to  understand  that  we  expected  to  live 
rather  differently  here  in  China,  to  what  we  had  done 
in  the  mountains  of  Thibet.  Excuses  of  course  were 
not  wanting,  but  we  had  made  up  our  minds  never  to 
admit  any. 

Among  the  inhabitants  of  Lou-ting-khiao  the  Thi- 
betan element  is  still  observable  in  manners  and  cos- 
tume; but  by  degrees,  as  you  advance,  this  mixture 
disappears,  and  there  remains  soon  nothing  but  what  is 
purely  Chinese. 

We  quitted  this  town  early  in  the  morning,  and 
crossed  a  high  mountain,  on  the  summit  of  which  is  an 
immense  plateau,  with  a  lake  half  a  league  broad  in  the 
middle.  The  paths  that  lead  upward  to  this  plateau 
are  so  tortuous  and  difficult,  that  the  Chinese  Itinerary* 
describes  them  by  saying  that  they  are  only  fit  for 
birds ;  and  on  the  following  day  AVC  were  favored  with 
a  by  no  means  pleasing  reminiscence  of  the  terrible  as- 
*  See  what  is  said  of  the  Chinese  Itinerary  in  the  "  Recollections." 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.  3? 

cent  of  the  mountains  of  Thibet.  "We  scaled  the  Fey- 
yue-ling,  "  a  gigantic  mountain  which  rises  almost  per- 
pendicularly, and  whose  peaks  are  painful  to  the  eyes 
of  the  traveler.  During  the  whole  year  it  is  covered 
with  snow,  and  surrounded  by  clouds  that  reach  to  its 
very  foot.  The  road  is  frightful,  and  passes  over  rocks 
and  chasms  ;  it  is  one  of  the  most  difficult  in  all  China, 
and  no  place  of  rest  can  be  found  on  it."  This  descrip- 
tion, which  we  borrow  from  the  Chinese  Itinerary,  is 
perfectly  correct.  On  this  mountain  we  again  found 
snow,  and  the  sight  of  it  seemed  to  recall  all  the  horrors 
and  miseries  of  the  journey  through  Thibet  and  Tartary. 
We  felt  like  men  who,  after  having  climbed  by  pro- 
digious exertions  out  of  an  abyss,  find  themselves  cast 
down  into  it  a  second  time.  The  bearers  of  our  palan- 
quin performed  prodigies  of  skill,  strength,  and  courage. 
In  the  most  difficult  places,  we  wished  to  get  out,  to  af- 
ford them  a  little  relief;  but  they  would  very  seldom 
allow  us  to  do  so,  for  they  felt  a  pride  in  climbing  like 
chamois  over  the  steepest  rocks,  and  passing  along  the 
edge  of  the  most  tremendous  precipices,  while  carrying- 
on  their  shoulders  our  heavy  palanquins,  which  seemed 
always  tottering  over  the  abyss.  Many  times  we  felt 
a  cold  shudder  run  through  our  veins,  for  a  single  false 
step  would  have  been  sufficient  to  precipitate  us  to  the 
bottom  of  the  gulf  beneath,  and  dash  us  to  pieces  against 
the  rocks.  But  nothing  can  equal  the  steadiness  and 
agility  of  these  indefatigable  bearers ;  and  it  is  only 
among  the  wonderful  Chinese  that  it  is  possible  to  find 
such  people.  While  they  are  running  panting  along 
these  terrific  roads,  their  bodies  dripping  with  perspi- 
ration, and  every  moment  in  danger  of  breaking  their 
limbs,  you  may  hear  them  laugh,  joke,  and  pun  as  if 
they  were  seated  quietly  at  their  tea-table.  Notwith- 
standing the  indescribable  fatigues  that  they  undergo, 

1 


38  JOURNEY  THROUGH   THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

too,  they  are  very  badly  remunerated.  The  rate  of  their 
\vages  is  fixed  at  a  sapeck  a  li,  which  comes  to  about 
a  halfpenny  for  a  French  league.  Thus  they  can  not  at 
the  very  utmost  gain  more  than  five  pence  a  day,  and 
as  there  are  many  days  in  the  year  during  which  it  is 
impossible  for  them  to  exercise  their  employment,  they 
have  not,  on  an  average,  more  than  three  pence  a  day. 
With  that  they  have  to  feed,  clothe,  and  lodge  them- 
selves, besides  keeping  enough  to  furnish  them  the 
means  of  passing  the  greater  part  of  the  night  in  play 
and  smoking  opium. 

The  food  of  the  common  people  in  China  is,  it  is  true, 
almost  incredibly  cheap;  and  the  palanquin-bearer  is 
by  profession  something  of  a  marauder — besides  having 
every  where  the  privilege  of  taking  up  his  quarters  for 
the  night  in  a  pagoda,  an  inn,  or  somewhere  about  the 
courts  of  law.  His  toilet,  too,  is  not  very  expensive  or 
complicated,  for  it  consists  of  nothing  more  than  a  pair 
of  drawers  reaching  to  the  middle  of  the  thigh,  and 
sandals  of  rice  straw.  He  generally  possesses  also  a 
short  jacket,  but  he  very  seldom  puts  it  more  than 
half  on. 

The  palanquin-bearer  is  one  of  the  most  original  types 
among  the  Chinese,  and  we  shall  often  have  occasion  to 
study  him. 

On  the  summit  of  the  mountain  ours  allowed  them- 
selves a  little  rest,  devoured  eagerly  some  little  cakes 
of  maize  flour,  and  smoked  several  pipes  of  tobacco. 
During  this  time  we  remained  contemplating  in  silence 
the  great  reddish-gray  clouds  that  were  sometimes  float- 
ing below,  sometimes  rolling  down  the  sides  of  the 
mountains,  sometimes  heaving  and  dilating  themselves 
as  if  they  were  going  to  rise  up  to  us.  Beneath  the 
clouds,  decreased  to  miniature  size  by  the  distance,  ap- 
peared rocks  and  deep  ravines,  and  foaming  torrents, 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.  39 

and  cascades,  and  carefully -cultivated  valleys,  where 
large  trees  of  thick,  dark  foliage  were  clearly  marked 
out  against  the  tender  green  of  the  rice-fields.  The 
picture  was  completed  by  some  scattered  habitations, 
half-hidden  in  tufts  of  bamboo,  whence  rose  at  intervals 
light  wreaths  of  smoke. 

Notwithstanding  the  difficulties  and  dangers  of  the 
road  across  this  mountain,  it  is  much  frequented  by 
travelers,  for  there  is  no  other  way  to  Ta-tsien-lou,  a 
great  place  of  trade  between  China  and  the  tribes  of 
Thibet.  You  meet  every  moment  on  these  narrow 
paths  long  files  of  porters  carrying  brick  tea,  which  is 
prepared  at  Khioung-Tcheou,  and  forwarded  from  Ta- 
tsien-lou  to  the  different  provinces  of  Thibet.  This  tea, 
after  having  been  subjected  to  strong  pressure,  is  made 
up  into  bales  in  coarse  matting,  and  fastened  by  leathern 
thongs  to  the  backs  of  Chinese  porters,  who  carry  enor- 
mous loads  of  it.  You  even  see  among  -them  old  men, 
women,  and  children,  who  go  climbing,  one  after  another, 
up  the  steep  sides  of  the  mountain.  They  advance  in 
silence,  with  slow  steps,  leaning  on  great  iron-pointed 
sticks,  and  with  their  eyes  fixed  on  the  ground ;  and 
beasts  of  burden  would  certainly  not  endure  so  well  the 
constant  and  excessive  fatigue  to  which  these  slaves  of 
poverty  are  subjected.  From  time  to  time  he  who  is 
at  tie  head  of  the  file  gives  the  signal  for  a  short  halt, 
by  striking  the  mountain  with  his  iron-pointed  stick; 
those  who  follow  him  imitate  this  signal  in  succession, 
and  soon  the  whole  line  has  stopped,  and  each  individual 
placing  his  stick  behind  him,  so  as  to  relieve  himself  a 
little  of  the  weight,  lifts  up  his  head,  and  utters  a  long 
whistling  sound  like  a  sigh  of  pain.  In  this  way  they 
endeavor  to  recover  their  strength,  and  get  a  little  air 
into  their  exhausted  lungs ;  but  after  a  minute  or  two's 
rest,  the  heavy  weight  again  falls  on  the  back  and  head, 


40  JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

the  body  is  again  bent  toward  the  ground,  and  the  car- 
avan is  once  more  in  motion. 

Whenever  we  met  these  unfortunate  tea-porters,  they 
were  obliged  to  stop  and  lean  against  the  mountain,  so 
as  to  afford  us  a  free  passage.  As  our  palanquin  ap- 
proached, they  lifted  up  their  heads  and  cast  on  us  a 
furtive  and  painfully  stupid  look.  And  this,  said  we 
sadly,  is  what  civilization,  when  corrupt  and  without 
religious  faith,  is  able  to  make  of  man  created  in  the 
image  of  God — of  man  who  has  been  "  made  a  little 
lower  than  the  angels,  crowned  with  glory  and  honour  1 " 
The  words  of  the  prophet,  in  which  he  raises  so  high 
the  dignity  of  man,  recurred  involuntarily  to  our  minds ; 
but  they  sounded  like  bitter  mockery  in  presence  of 
these  poor  creatures,  degraded  to  the  level  of  beasts  of 
burden. 

Brick  tea,  and  the  khata,  or  "scarf  of*felicity,"  are 
the  great  articles  of  trade  between  China  and  Thibet. 
It  is  scarcely  credible  what  a  prodigious  quantity  of 
these  goods  is  exported  annually  from  the  provinces  of 
Kan-Sou  and  /Sse-tchouen.  These  are  certainly  not  ab- 
solute necessaries  of  life ;  but  they  are  so  connected  with 
the  habits  and  wants  of  the  Thibetans,  that  they  can 
not  now  do  without  them,  and  they  have  thus  rendered 
themselves  voluntary  tributaries  of  that  Chinese  Em- 
pire, whose  yoke  weighs  so  heavily  upon  them.  They 
might  live  in  freedom  and  independence  in  the  midst  of 
their  mountains,  and  care  nothing  about  the  Chinese, 
if  they  could  only  make  up  their  minds  to  go  without 
brick  tea  and  scarfs  of  felicity.  But  this  they  will  prob- 
ably not  do,  for  factitious  wants  are  those  which  weigh 
most  heavily  upon  us,  and  from  which  we  have  most 
difficulty  in  freeing  ourselves.  • 

After  crossing  the  famous  Fey-yue-ling,  which  rises 
on  the  frontiers  of  the  Central  Empire  like  an  advanced 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.  41 

post  of  the  mountains  of  Thibet,  we  found  ourselves 
once  more  in  China,  with  its  beautiful  landscapes,  its 
towns  and  villages  and  numerous  population ;  the  tem- 
perature rose  rapidly,  and  soon  the  Thibetan  horses, 
which  had  borne  the  -Chinese  soldiers  from  the  garrison 
of  Lha-ssa,  became  so  overcome  by  the  heat  that  they 
went  along  with  outstretched  necks,  napping  ears,  and 
open,  panting  mouths.  Several  could  not  endure  the 
change,  and  died  on  the  road;  at  which  the  Chinese 
soldiers,  who  had  reckoned  on  selling  them  for  a  good 
price  in  their  own  country,  became  furious,  and  vented 
their  wrath  in  imprecations  on  Thibet  and  all  that  it 
contained. 

A  little  while  before  we  arrived  at  Tsing-khi-hien,  a 
town  of  the  third  order,  the  wind  began  to  blow  with 
such  violence  that  our  bearers  had  the  greatest  difficulty 
in  keeping  the  palanquins  on  their  shoulders.  But  when 
in  the  midst  of  this  hurricane  we  entered  the  town,  we 
were  much  surprised  to  find  the  inhabitants  attending 
quietly  to  their  customary  occupations,  and  to  hear  from 
the  master  of  the  inn  where  we  alighted,  that  this  was 
the  usual  weather  in  this  part  of  the  country.  We  con- 
sulted our  Chinese  Itinerary  on  the  subject,  and  there 
read,  in  fact,  the  following  words: 

"At  Tsing-khi-hien  the  winds  are  terrible:  every 
evening  there  rise  furious  whirlwinds,  which  shake  the 
houses  and  occasion  a  frightful  noise,  as  if  every  thing 
was  going  to  pieces."  It  is  probable  that  these  atmos- 
pheric disturbances  are  attributable  to  the  neighbor- 
hood of  the  Fey-yue-ling  and  its  vast  and  numerous 
gorges.  Since  our  departure  from  Ta-tsien-lou,  we  had 
traveled  pretty  quietly,  and  without  exciting  much  cu- 
riosity among  the  Chinese.  But  as  soon  as  we  had 
reached  the  great  centre  of  the  population,  the  sensation 
we  created  began  to  be  perceptible. 


42  JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMl'IliK. 

The  cstafette  who  preceded  us  several  stages  to  an- 
nounce our  arrival,  did  not  fail  to  blow  his  trumpet  and 
rouse  the  inhabitants.  The  peasants  abandoned  their 
iield  labors,  to  run  and  post  themselves  on  the  road  side 
to  see  us  pass  by.  At  the  entrance  of  the  towns,  espe- 
cially, the  curious  came  thronging  about  us  in  such 
numbers  that  the  palanquins  could  scarcely  make  their 
way  through  the  throng.  Our  bearers  vociferated,  the 
soldiers  who  formed  our  escort  tried  to  disperse  them 
by  dealing  out  blows  right  and  left  with  their  rattans, 
and  while  we  advanced,  as  through  the  midst  of  an  in- 
surrection, all  those  thousands  of  little  Chinese  eyes 
were  peering  into  our  palanquins  with  the  most  eager 
curiosity.  Loud  remarks  were  made,  without  the  small- 
est ceremony,  on  the  cut  of  our  physiognomies,  our 
beards,  noses,  eyes,  costume — nothing  was  forgotten. 
Some  appeared  pretty  well  satisfied  with  us ;  but  oth- 
ers burst  into  shouts  of  laughter,  as  soon  as  they  caught 
sight  of  what  seemed  to  them  our  burlesque  European 
features.  A  magic  effect  was,  however,  produced  by  the 
yellow  cap  and  red  sash;  those  who  first  discovered 
them,  pointed  them  out  to  their  neighbors  with  evident 
amazement,  and  their  faces  immediately  assumed  a  grave 
and  severe  expression.  Some  said  that  the  Emperor 
had  charged  us  with  an  extraordinary  mission,  and  that 
he  had  himself  bestowed  on  us  these  Imperial  decora- 
tions. Others  were  of  opinion  that  we  were  European 
spies  who  had  been  arrested  in  Thibet,  and  that  we 
were  to  be  tried  as  a  preparatory  ceremony  to  that  of 
having  our  heads  cut  off.  These  various  opinions  which 
we  heard  expressed  all  around  us,  were  sometimes  amus- 
ing, but  more  frequently,  it  must  be  owned,  vexatious. 

At  Ya-tcheou,  a  fine  town  of  the  second  order,  where 
we  stopped  after  leaving  Tsing-khi-hien,  there  was  a 
real  insurrection  on  our  account.  The  inn  where  we 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.  43 

were  lodged  possessed  a  large  and  handsome  court- 
yard, round  which  were  ranged  the  chambers  destined 
to  travelers ;  and  as  soon  as  we  were  installed  in  those 
prepared  for  us,  our  visitors  began  to  arrive  in  such 
crowds  that  the  tumult  soon  became  deafening.  As  we 
had  rather  more  desire  to  rest  than  to  present  ourselves 
as  a  spectacle  for  the  amusement  of  the  public,  we  en- 
deavored to  turn  them  out  of  doors ;  and  one  of  us  ad- 
vancing to  the  threshold  of  our  chambers,  addressed  to 
the  multitude  a  few  words  accompanied  by  energetic 
and  imperious  gestures,  which  had  a  complete  and  in- 
stantaneous success.  The  crowd  appeared  to  be  sud- 
denly seized  by  panic  terror,  and  set  off  as  hard  as  they 
could  run ;  and  no  sooner  was  the  court-yard  clear  than 
we  had  the  great  gate  locked  for  fear  of  a  second  invasion. 

But  little  by  little  the  tumult  began  again  in  the 
street.  A  sort  of  murmur  was  heard  among  the  crowd, 
and  then  the  noise  burst  out  again  as  loud  as  ever. 
The  worthy  Chinese  were  determined  to  gratify  them- 
selves with  a  sight  of  the  Europeans.  They  began  to 
knock  loudly  and  repeatedly  at  our  great  gate,  and  at 
last  by  dint  of  violent  shaking  burst  it  in,  and  the  liv- 
ing torrent  rushed  again  with  impetuosity  into  the  court- 
yard. 

The  matter  was  now  becoming  serious,  and  it  was 
evidently  important  to  let  them  see  who  was  master. 
By  a  sudden  inspiration  we  seized  a  long  and  thick 
bamboo,  which  happened  to  be  lying  near  the  door  of 
the  room,  and  the  poor  Chinese,  imagining  no  doubt 
that  we  intended  to  knock  them  down  with  it,  tumbled 
over  each  other  in  their  haste  to  get  away.  We  then 
ran  to  the  door  of  the  room  occupied  by  our  Mandarin 
conductor,  who,  not  knowing  what  to  do  in  the  riot, 
had  bethought  himself  of  the  safe  expedient  of  hiding 
himself.  But  as  soon  as  we  had  found  him,  without 


44  JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

giving  him  time  to  speak,  or  even  to  think,  we  seized 
him  by  the  arm,  clapped  on  his  head  his  official  hat, 
and  dragged  him  along  as  fast  as  we  could  run  to  the 
gate  of  the  inn.  Then  we  thrust  into  his  hands  the 
great  bamboo  with  which  we  had  armed  ourselves,  and 
enjoined  him  to  stand  sentinel.  "If,"  said  we,  "a  sin- 
gle individual  passes  that  gate,  you  are  a  lost  man ;" 
and  hearing  us  talk  in  this  grand  style,  the  poor  man 
took  it  seriously  and  did  not  dare  to  stir.  The  people 
in  the  street  burst  out  laughing ;  for  it  was  something 
new  to  see  a  military  Mandarin  mounting  guard  with  a 
long  bamboo  at  the  door  of  an  inn.  Every  thing  re- 
mained perfectly  quiet  up  to  the  time  of  our  going  to 
bed ;  the  guard  was  then  relieved,  and  our  warrior  laid 
down  his  arms  and  returned  to  his  room,  to  console 
himself  by  smoking  some  pipes  of  tobacco. 

Those  who  do  not  know  the  Chinese,  will  doubtless 
be  scandalized  at  our  behavior,  and  will  blame  us  se- 
verely. They  will  ask,  what  right  we  had  to  make  this 
Mandarin  ridiculous  and  expose  him  to  the  laughter  of 
the  people.  The  right,  we  answer,  that  every  man  has 
to  provide  for  his  personal  safety.  This  triumph,  ab- 
surd as  it  seems,  gave  us  great  moral  power,  and  we 
had  need  of  it,  in  order  to  arrive  safe  and  sound  at  the 
end  of  our  journey.  It  would  be  childish  or  insane  to 
talk  of  reasoning  and  acting  in  China  as  you  would  in 
Europe ;  the  circumstance  just  related  is  a  trifle,  but 
we  shall  find  much  stronger  instances  in  the  course  of 
our  narrative. 

Our  departure  from  Ya-tcheou  was  almost  imposing. 
Our  demonstration  of  the  evening  before  had  raised  us 
so  high  in  public  opinion,  that  we  had  not  to  encounter 
on  our  passage  the  slightest  inconvenience.  The  streets 
were  thronged  with  people;  but  their  behavior  was 
civil,  almost  respectful.  They  stood  aside  quietly,  to 


JOURNEY   THROUGH   THE  CHINESE   EMPIRE.  45 

let  our  palanquins  pass,  and  every  body  appeared  to  be 
earnestly  engaged  in  the  study  of  our  physiognomy, 
which  we  endeavored  as  far  as  possible  to  render  ex- 
tremely majestic,  and  quite  in  accordance  with  the 
"rites" 

It  was  the  month  of  June — the  finest  season  for  the 
province  of  Sse-tchouen.  The  country  we  were  travers- 
ing was  rich  and  admirably  varied  by  hills,  plains,  and 
valleys,  watered  by  streams  of  enchanting  freshness. 
The  country  was  in  all  its  splendor,  harvests  were  rip- 
ening all  around,  the  trees  were  loaded  with  flowers  and 
fruit,  and  the  exquisite  perfume  of  the  air  reminded  us 
that  we  were  passing  through  plantations  of  lemon  and 
orange  trees. 

In  the  fields  and  on  all  the  paths  we  found  the  in- 
dustrious population  of  China,  constantly  busied  in  trade 
and  agriculture ;  villages  with  their  qurve-roofed  pago- 
das, farms  surrounded  by  thickets  of  bamboo  and  ba- 
nana, inns  and  houses  of  refreshment  at  short  intervals 
along  the  roads,  small  tradesmen  selling  to  travelers 
fruit,  fragments  of  sugar-cane,  pastry  made  with  cocoa- 
nut  oil,  soups,  rice,  wine,  tea,  and  an  infinity  of  Chi- 
nese dainties.  All  this  brought  back  vividly  the  recol- 
lection of  our  former  travels  in  the  Celestial  Empire ; 
but  perhaps  the  strongest  reminiscence  was  afforded  by 
the  powerful  odor  of  musk,  with  which  China  and  the 
Chinese  are  every  where  so  much  impregnated. 

Travelers  in  remote  countries  have  often  remarked, 
that  most  nations  have  an  odor  which  is  peculiar  to 
them.  It  is  easy  to  distinguish  the  negro,  the  Malay, 
the  Tatar,  the  Thibetan,  the  Hindoo,  the  Arab,  and  the 
Chinese.  The  country  itself  even,  the  soil  on  which 
they  dwell,  diffuses  an  analogous  exhalation,  which  is 
especially  observable  in  the  morning,  in  passing  either 
through  town  or  country;  but  a  new-comer  is  much 


40  JOUKNKV  TlinOKGII    TIIK   CIIINKSK   KMIMKK. 

more  sensible  of  it  than  an  old  resident,  as  the  sense  of 
smell  becomes  gradually  so  accustomed  to  it  as  no  lon- 
ger to  perceive  it. 

The  Chinese  say  they  perceive  also  a  peculiar  odor 
in  an  European,  but  one  less  powerful  than  that  of  the 
other  nations  with  whom  they  come  in  contact.  It  is 
remarkable,  however,  that  in  traversing  the  various  prov- 
inces of  China,  we  were  never  recognized  by  any  one 
except  by  the  dogs,  which  barked  continually  at  us,  and 
appeared  to  know  that  we  were  foreigners.  We  had 
indeed  completely  the  appearance  of  true  Chinese,  and 
only  an  extremely  delicate  scent  could  discover  that  we 
did  not  really  belong  to  the  "  central  nation." 

We  noticed  on  our  way  a  great  number  of  monu- 
ments of  a  kind  peculiar  to  China,  and  which  alone 
would  suffice  to  distinguish  this  country  from  all  oth- 
ers ;  namely,  triumphal  arches  erected  to  widowhood  or 
virginity.  When  a  girl  will  not  marry,  in  order  that 
she  may  better  devote  herself  to  the  service  of  her  par- 
ents, or  if  a  widow  refuses  to  enter  the  marriage  state  a 
second  time,  out  of  respect  to  the  memory  of  her  de- 
ceased husband,  she  is  honored  after  death  with  especial 
pomp.  Subscriptions  are  raised  for  the  erection  of  a 
monument  to  her  virtue,  to  which  all  the  relations,  and 
even  sometimes  the  inhabitants  of  the  village  or  district 
where  the  heroine  has  dwelt,  contribute.  These  arches 
are  of  wood  or  stone,  covered  with  sculptures,  sometimes 
very  well  executed,  of  flowers,  birds,  and  fabulous  ani- 
mals. Many  of  the  ornaments  and  fanciful  mouldings 
would  do  no  discredit  to  the  artists  who  decorated  our 
finest  cathedrals.  On  the  front  is  usually  an  inscription 
in  honor  of  virginity  or  widowhood,  as  the  case  may  be ; 
and  on  the  two  sides  are  engraved  in  small  letters  the 
virtue  of  the  heroine  in  question.  These  arches,  which 
have  a  very  fine  effect,  are  frequent  along  the  roads,  and 


JOURNEY   THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.  47 

even  in  the  towns.  At  Ning-Po,  a  celebrated  seaport 
in  the  province  of  Tche-Kiang^  there  is  a  long  street 
entirely  composed  of  such  monuments,  all  of  stone  and 
of  a  most  rich  and  majestic  architecture.  The  beauty 
of  the  sculptures  has  excited  the  admiration  of  all  Eu- 
ropeans who  have  seen  them ;  in  1842,  when  the  English 
took  the  town,  there  was  some  talk  of  their  carrying  off 
these  triumphal  arches,  and  making  with  them  a  com- 
plete Chinese  street  in  London.  Such  an  enterprise 
would  have  been  worthy  of  British  eccentricity,  but 
whether  from  fear  of  irritating  the  people  of  Ning-Po, 
or  from  any  other  motive,  the  project  was  abandoned. 

After  two  days'  march  through  this  populous  country, 
we  seemed  to  have  quite  recovered  our  former  famil- 
iarity with  it.  China  entered  into  us  at  every  pore,  and 
our  Tatar  and  Thibetan  impressions  gradually  faded 
away.  At  Khioung-tcheou,  a  town  of  the  second  order 
and  pleasantly  situated,  the  inhabitants  appeared  to  be 
living  in  the  greatest  abundance.  We  were  not,  as  on 
former  occasions,  lodged  in  a  public  inn,  but  at  a  small 
palace  decorated  with  great  richness  and  elegance,  and 
where  we  had  only  to  do  with  people  of  exquisite  po- 
liteness, most  strict  observers  of  the  rites  or  Chinese 
etiquette.  On  our  arrival,  several  Mandarins  came  to 
receive  us  at  the  door,  and  introduced  us  into  a  brilliant 
saloon  in  which  we  found  a  luxurious  and  elegantly 
served  collation.  Hotels  of  this  kind  are  called  koung- 
kouans,  or  communal  palaces  ;  they  are  found  from  stage 
to  stage  all  along  the  road,  and  are  reserved  for  the  use 
of  the  great  Mandarins,  when  traveling  on  public  serv- 
ice. Ordinary  travelers  are  rigidly  excluded  from  them. 
A  Chinese  family  has  the  office  of  maintaining  each  of 
them  in  good  order,  and  of  making  the  necessary  ar- 
rangements when  a  Mandarin  is  about  to  occupy  it. 
The  expenses  are  paid  by  the  governor  of  the  town, 


48  JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

and  he  appoints  the  domestics  for  the  service  of  the 
palace.  The  koung-kouans  of  the  province  of  Sse- 
tchouen  are  particularly  renowned  for  this  magnificence, 
and  they  were  completely  renewed  under  the  adminis- 
tration of  Ki-Chan,  who  was  governor  of  the  province 
for  several  years,  and  whose  actions  all  bear  the  stamp 
of  his  noble  and  generous  character. 

We  were  somewhat  astonished  at  first,  to  find  our- 
selves lodged  in  this  lordly  abode,  where  a  splendid 
banquet  was  served  up  to  us,  and  where  we  were  waited 
on  by  domestics  in  rich  silk  attire. 

We  talked  a  good  deal  with  the  Mandarins  of  the 
town,  who  had  the  courtesy  to  come  and  visit  us ;  and 
the  result  of  these  conversations  was  the  clear  conviction 
that  we  had  been  completely  the  dupes  of  the  little  Mus- 
sulman mandarin — the  chief  of  our  escort.  According 
to  the  orders  of  Ki-Chan,  which  had  been  forwarded  in 
writing  to  the  chief  tribunal  of  Ta-tsien-lou,  we  were  to 
be  lodged  every  day  in  the  communal  palaces,  and  treat- 
ed in  all  things  like  Mandarins  of  the  first  degree.  In 
regulating  matters  thus,  Ki-Chan  had  doubtless,  in  the 
first  instance,  followed  the  impulse  of  his  own  generos- 
ity; but  besides  this,  he  had  also  probably,  from  a  very 
excusable  patriotic  pride,  wished  to  give  us  strangers  a 
high  idea  of  the  grandeur  of  his  country ;  he  had  wished 
that  we  should  be  able  to  say  that  we  had  been  received 
in  China  with  brilliant  hospitality.  But  Ki-Chan  had 
reckoned  without  his  little  Mussulman,  who  did  not  par- 
ticularly care  about  making  the  Empire  and  the  Mant- 
chou  dynasty  shine  in  the  eyes  of  the  two  strangers, 
and  who  had  some  little  views  of  his  own,  connected 
with  our  commissariat  department.  He  had  an  under- 
standing with  the  courier,  who  preceded  us  always  by  a 
day's  journey,  and  who  declared  to  the  Mandarins  of  all 
the  towns  we  passed  through,  that  we  had  absolutely 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE   CHINESE  EMPIRE.  49 

refused  to  be  lodged  in  the  koung-kouans  from  some 
caprice  common  among  the  men  of  our  nation,  who 
never  could  be  got  to  conform  to  the  customs  of  the 
central  Empire.  He  requested,  therefore,  that  they 
would  let  him  have  the  orders  for  our  reception  at  the 
various  palaces,  and  he  would  then  undertake  to  provide 
for  us  in  a  manner  more  suitable  to  our  taste  and  wishes. 
The  Mandarins  and  the  keepers  of  the  koung-kouan' 
were,  on  their  side,  of  course  not  unwilling  to  comply 
witli  a  request  that  would  save  them  all  anxiety  and 
trouble  ;  and  if  our  peculiar  tastes  led  us  to  prefer  lodg- 
ing at  poor  inns  and  living  on  rice  and  water,  salt  herbs 
and  bacon,  if  wine  was  too  heating  and  injurious  to  our 
"Western  stomachs,  and  that  we  found  very  poor  weak 
tea  agree  with  us  better,  they  of  course  could  have  no 
objection. 

In  this  manner  our  cunning  little  Mussulman  foiuid 
means  to  maintain  us  for  about  -a  tenth  of  the  sum 
allowed  him  for  the  purpose,  and  quietly  to  pocket  the 
balance.  This  discovery  was  of  the  greatest  importance 
to  us  ;  for  it  made  us  acquainted  both  with  the  extent 
of  our  rights,  and  the  value  of  the  individual  to  whose 
care  we  had  been  confided. 

When  we  were  about  to  retire  to  rest,  our  attention 
was  attracted  by  the  behavior  of  some  of  the  keepers 
of  the  palace,  who  kept  hovering  about  us  in  what 
seemed  a  very  mysterious  manner.  Presently  they  ad- 
dressed to  us  a  few  words,  insignificant  enough  in  them- 
selves, but  which  expressed  their  desire  to  enter  into 
communication  with  us.  At  length  one  of  them,  after 
having  looked  well  on  all  sides,  to  make  sure  that  he 
was  not  perceived,  came  after  us  into  our  room,  shut 
the  door,  and  them  kneeling  down,  made  the  sign  of  the 
cross  and  asked  our  blessing.  He  was  a  Christian. 
Soon  there  came  a  second  and  a  third,  and  at  last  the 

VOL.  L— C 


CO  JOUltNEY   TllKOUlill   T11K   (  IIINKSK   E 

whole  family  which  had  the  care  of  the  koung-kouan 
was  assembled  round  us.  They  were  all  Christians ;  but 
during  the  whole  day  they  had  not,  for  fear  of  compro- 
mising themselves  before  the  Mandarins,  been  able,  l<> 
make  any  demonstration  to  that  effect. 

It  is  impossible  to  form  any  idea  of  the  emotions  this 
inciu-  nt  awakened  in  our  minds !  The  present  writer 
can  not  now,  after  the  lapse  of  six  years,  recall  it  with- 
out feeling  his  heart  beat  quicker  and  the  tears  rush  into 
his  eyes. 

These  men  were  entirely  unknown  to  us,  yet  we  felt 
immediately  toward  them  like  brothers  and  friends. 
Their  thoughts  and  feelings  were  in  harmony  Avith  ours ; 
we  could  speak  to  them  with  open  hearts,  for  Ave  were 
closely  united  by  the  bonds  of  faith,  hope,  and  charity. 
This  inestimable  happiness  of  finding  brothers  every 
Avhere  is  only  for  Catholics.  They  alone  can  traverse 
the  earth  from  north  to  south  and  from  east  to  west,  and 
feel  secure  of  finding  every  Avhere  some  member  of  the 
great  family. 

There  is  much  talk  of  uniA^ersal  fraternity ;  but  let 
those  Avho  have  it  in  their  hearts,  and  not  merely  on 
their  lips,  exert  themselves  in  the  beautiful  Avork  of  the 
propagation  of  the  faith. 

On  the  day  before  our  departure  AVC  received  a  great 
number  of  visitors,  all  belonging  to  the  highest  society 
of  Khioung-tcheou.  While  AVC  resided  at  the  mission 
AVC  had  been  mostly  in  communication  Avith  the  loAvcr 
classes  ;  in  the  country  with  peasants,  in  the  town  Avith 
artisans,  for  in  China,  as  eArery  Avhere  else,  it  is  among 
the  people  that  Christianity  first  strikes  root.  We  Avcrc 
happy  therefore  to  have  this  opportunity  of  forming  an 
acquaintance  Avith  the  higher  classes  of  this  curious  na- 
tion. The  Avell-bred  Chinese  are  very  pleasing  in  their 
manners.  Their  politeness  is  not  fatiguing  and  tiresome 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.  51 

as  is  sometimes  supposed,  but  has  really  something  fas- 
cinating in  it,  and  only  falls  into  affectation  with  the 
pretenders  to  elegance,  who  know  little  of  refined  soci- 
ety. Their  conversation  is  sometimes  even  intelligent 
and  witty,  and  though  the  compliments,  and  elaborate 
eulogistic  speeches  they  make  one  another,  are  somewhat 
wearisome  at  first,  you  soon  become  in  some  measure 
reconciled  to  them,  by  the  grace  with  which  they  are 
uttered.  There  was  especially  a  group  of  young  men 
among  our  visitors,  who  excited  our  admiration ;  their 
behavior  was  modest,  though  unconstrained,  showing  a 
mixture  of  timidity  and  confidence  which  suited  their 
age  perfectly.  They  spoke  little,  and  only  when  they 
were  first  spoken  to,  but  showed  their  interest  in  the 
conversation  by  the  animation  of  their  faces  and  their 
graceful  gestures.  Their  fans  too  were  managed  by  our 
guests  with  so  much  elegance  and  dexterity,  that  they 
were  quite  becoming.  Of  course  we  also  had  on  our 
best  manners,  in  order  to  show  that  French  urbanity 
was  not  inferior  to  the  ceremonious  politeness  of  China. 
When  we  set  off  again,  we  remarked  that  our  escort 
was  much  more  numerous  than  usual.  Our  palanquins 
proceeded  between  a  double  line  of  lancers  on  horseback, 
whom  it  appeared  the  governor  of  Khioung-tchcou  had 
given  us  to  protect  us  from  robbers.  These  robbers 
were  the  smugglers  of  opium,  and  we  were  informed  that 
for  several  years  past  they  had  come  in  great  numbers  to 
the  province  of  Yun-nan,  and  even  as  far  as  Birmah,  to 
fetch  the  opium  sent  to  them  from  India.  They  came 
back  with  their  contraband  goods  quite  openly,  but  armed 
to  the  teeth,  in  order  to  be  able  to  defy  the  Mandarins 
who  might  oppose  their  passage.  Instances  were  men- 
tioned to  us,  of  murderous  combats  in  which  both  sides 
had  fought  desperately,  the  one  to  keep,  the  other  to 
get,  the  smuggled  goods ;  for  Chinese  soldiers  are  only 


52  JOURNEY    THROUGH   THE   CHINESE    EMI'IUK. 

valiant  against  robbers  and  smugglers  when  they  hope 
to  get  possession  of  the  booty  themselves.  When  these 
armed  bands  of  opium  traders  meet  any  rich  travelers 
on  the  road,  they  seldom  fail  to  do  a  little  more  business 
by  attacking  and  plundering  them. 

Every  body  is  aware  of  the  unfortunate  passion  of 
the  Chinese  for  opium,  and  of  the  Avar  this  fatal  drug 
occasioned  in  1840,  between  China  and  England.  Its 
importance  in  the  Celestial  Empire  is  of  rather  recent 
date,  but  there  is  no  trade  in  the  world  the  progress  of 
which  has  been  so  rapid.  Two  agents  of  the  East  India 
Company  were  the  first  who,  in  the  beginning  of  the 
eighteenth  century,  conceived  the  deplorable  thought  of 
sending  to  China  the  opium  of  Bengal.  Colonel  Watson 
and  Vice-Pesident  Wheeler  are  the  persons  to  whom 
the  Chinese  are  indebted  for  this  new  system  of  poison- 
ing. History  has  preserved  the  name  of  Parmentier  ;* 
why  should  it  not  also  those  of  these  two  men  ?  Who- 
ever has  done  either  great  good  or  great  harm  to  man- 
kind ought  to  be  remembered,  to  excite  either  gratitude 
or  indignation. 

At  present  China  purchases  annually  of  the  English 
opium  of  the  amount  of  seven  millions  sterling;  the 
traffic  is  contraband,  but  it  is  carried  on  along  the  whole 
coast  of  the  Empire,  and  especially  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  the  five  ports  which  have  been  opened  to  Eu- 
ropeans. Large  fine  vessels,  armed  like  ships  of  war, 
serve  as  depots  to  the  English  merchants,  and  the  trade 
is  protected,  not  only  by  the  English  government,  but 
also  by  the  Mandarins  of  the  Celestial  Empire.  The 
law  which  forbids  the  smoking  of  opium  under  pain  of 
death,  has  indeed  never  been  repealed ;  but  every  body 
smokes  away  quite  at  his  ease  notwithstanding.  Pipes, 

*  A  distinguished  French  chemist,  who  introduced  the  culture  of 
the  ]iotato  into  France,  after  the  famine  of  1 769.— TRANSL. 


JOURNEY   THROUGH   THE   CHINESE   EMPIRE. 

lamps,  and  all  the  apparatus  for  smoking  opium,  are 
sold  publicly  in  every  town,  and  the  Mandarins  them- 
selves are  the  first  to  violate  the  law  and  give  this  bad 
example  to  the  people,  even  in  the  courts  of  justice. 
During  the  whole  of  our  long  journey  through  China,  we 
met  with  but  one  tribunal  where  opium  was  not  smoked 
openly,  and  with  impunity. 

Opium  is  not  smoked  in  the  same  manner  as  tobacco. 
The  pipe  is  a  tube  of  nearly  the  length  and  thickness 
of  an  ordinary  flute.  Toward  one  end  of  it  is  fitted  a 
bowl  of  baked  clay  or  some  other  material,  more  or  less 
precious,  which  is  pierced  with  a  hole  communicating 
with  the  interior  of  the  tube.  The  opium,  which  before 
smoking  is  in  the  form  of  a  blackish  viscous  paste,  is 
prepared  in  the  following  manner:  A  portion,  of  the 
size  of  a  pea,  is  put  on  a  needle,  and  heated  over  a  lamp 
until  it  swells  and  acquires  the  requisite  consistence. 
It  is  then  placed  over  the  hole  in  the  bowl  of  the  pipe, 
in  the  form  of  a  little  cone  that  has  been  previously 
pierced  with  a  needle  so  as  to  communicate  with  the  in- 
terior of  the  tube.  The  opium  is  then  brought  to  the 
flame  of  the  lamp,  and  after  three  or  four  inspirations 
the  little  cone  is  entirely  burned,  and  all  the  smoke 
passes  into  the  mouth  of  the  smoker,  who  then  rejects 
it  again  through  his  nostrils.  Afterward  the  same 
operation  is  repeated ;  so  that  this  mode  of  smoking  is 
extremely  tedious.  The  Chinese  prepare  and  smoke 
their  opium  lying  down,  sometimes  on  one  side,  some- 
times on  the  other,  saying  that  this  is  the  most  favor- 
able position ;  and  the  smokers  of  distinction  do  not 
give  themselves  all  the  trouble  of  the  operation,  but 
have  their  pipes  prepared  for  them. 

At  Canton,  at  Macao,  and  at  other  ports  open  to 
European  commerce,  we  have  heard  people  attempt  to 
justify  the  trade  in  opium,  by  the  assertion  that  its  ef- 


:,i          JorKXKY  TiiuorGii  THE  CIIINKSI;  KMI-IUK. 

fects  were  not  so  bad  as  was  supposed ;  and  that,  as 
with  fermented  liquors  and  many  other  substances,  the. 
abuse  only  was  injurious.  A  moderate  use  of  opium,  it 
was  said,  Avas  rather  beneficial  to  the  feeble  and  lym- 
phatic Chinese.  Those  who  speak  thus,  however,  arc 
commonly  dealers  in  opium,  and  it  is  easy  to  suppose 
that  they  seek  by  all  possible  arguments  to  quiet  their 
consciences,  which  can  hardly  fail  to  tell  them  they  arc 
committing  a  bad  action.  But  the  spirit  of  trade  and 
the  thirst  of  gold  completely  blind  these  men,  who,  with 
this  exception,  are  generous  in  their  conduct,  keep  their 
purses  always  open  to  the  unfortunate,  and  are  prompt 
in  every  good  work.  These  rich  speculators  live  habit- 
ually in  the  midst  of  gayety  and  splendor,  and  think 
little  of  the  frightful  consequences  of  their  detestable 
traffic.  When  from  their  superb  palace-like  mansions 
on  the  sea-shore,  they  see  their  beautiful  vessels  return- 
ing from  the  Indies,  gliding  majestically  over  the  waves, 
and  entering  with  all  their  sails  spread  into  the  port-, 
they  do  not  reflect  that  the  cargoes  borne  in  these  su- 
perb clippers,  are  bringing  ruin  and  desolation  to  num- 
bers of  families.  With  the  exception  of  some  rare 
smokers  who — thanks  to  a  quite  exceptional  organiza- 
tion ! — are  able  to  restrain  themselves  within  the  bounds 
of  moderation,  all  others  advance  rapidly  toward  death, 
after  having  passed  through  the  successive  stages  of 
idleness,  debauchery,  poverty,  the  ruin  of  their  physical 
strength,  and  the  complete  prostration  of  their  intel- 
lectual and  moral  faculties.  Nothing  can  stop  a  smoker 
who  has  made  much  progress  in  this  habit ;  incapable 
of  attending  to  any  kind  of  business,  insensible  to  every 
event — the  most  hideous  poverty,  and  the  sight  of  a 
family  plunged  into  despair  and  misery,  can  not  rouse 
him  to  the  smallest  exertion,  so  complete  is  the  disgust- 
ing apathy  in  which  he  is  sunk. 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.  5i> 

For  several  years  past,  some  of  the  southern  prov- 
inces have  been  actively  engaged  in  the  cultivation  of 
the  poppy  and  the  fabrication  of  opium.  The  English 
merchants  confess  that  the  Chinese  product  is  of  excel- 
lent quality,  though  inferior  to  that  of  Bengal ;  but  the 
English  opium  suffers  so  much  adulteration  before  it 
reaches  the  pipe  of  the  smoker,  that  it  is  not  in  reality 
as  good  as  what  the  Chinese  themselves  prepare.  The 
latter,  however,  though  delivered  perfectly  pure,  is  sold 
at  a  low  price,  and  only  consumed  by  smokers  of  the 
lowest  class.  That  of  the  English,  notwithstanding  its 
adulteration,  is  very  dear,  and  reserved  to  smokers  of 
distinction  ;  a  caprice  which  can  only  be  accounted  for 
from  the  vanity  of  the  rich  Chinese,  who  would  think  it 
beneath  them  to  smoke  tobacco  of  native  production, 
and  not  of  a  ruinous  price ;  that  which  comes  from  a 
long  way  off  must  evidently  be  preferable. 

"  Tutto  il  mondo  ej'atto  come  la  nostrafamiylla." 

It  may  be  easily  foreseen,  however,  that  this  state  of 
things  can  not  last ;  and  it  is  probable  that  the  Chinese 
will  soon  cultivate  the  poppy  on  a  large  scale,  and  make 
at  home  all  the  opium  necessary  for  their  consumption. 
The  English  can  not  possibly  offer  an  equally  good  ar- 
ticle at  the  same  price ;  and  when  the  fashion  at  present 
in  their  favor  shall  have  altered,  they  will  no  longer  be 
able  to  sustain  the  competition.  When  that  happens, 
British  India  will  experience  a  terrible  blow,  that  may 
possibly  even  be  felt  in  the  English  metropolis,  and 
then,  who  knows  whether  the  passion  of  the  Chinese 
for  this  fatal  drug  may  not  decline  ?  It  would  be  by 
no  means  surprising  if,  when  they  can  procure  opium 
easily  and  at  a  low  price,  they  should  gradually  aban- 
don this  degrading  and  murderous  habit. 

It  is  said  that  the  people  of  London,  and  many  of  the 


56  JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

great  manufacturing  towns  of  England,  have  been  for 
some  time  addicted  to  the  use  of  opium,  both  in  its 
liquid  and  solid  form ;  but  the  circumstance  has  at- 
tracted little  attention,  though  the  progress  of  the  habit 
is  alarming.  Curious  and  instructive  would  it  be,  in- 
deed, if  we  should  one  day  see  the  English  going  to 
buy  opium  in  the  ports  of  China,  and  their  ships  bring- 
ing back  from  the  Celestial  Empire  this  deleterious 
stuff,  to  poison  England.  Well  might  we  exclaim  in 
such  a  case,  "Leave  judgment  to  God!" 

After  quitting  the  communal  palace  of  Khioung-tcheou 
we  crossed  a  magnificent  plain,  in  which  we  saw  the 
Chinese  population  displaying  all  the  resources  of  their 
agricultural  and  commercial  industry.  As  we  advanced 
the  roads  became  broader,  the  villages  more  numerous, 
and  the  houses  better  built  and  more  elegantly  decor- 
ated. The  short  garments  worn  by  the  people  gave  way 
to  long  robes  of  state,  and  the  physiognomies  of  travel- 
ers bore  the  impress  of  a  higher  civilization.  Among 
the  peasants,  with  their  large  straw  hats  and  sandals, 
appeared  a  great  number  of  Chinese  exquisites,  with 
their  lounging  and  affected  deportment,  playing  contin- 
ually with  their  fans,  and  protecting  their  pale,  mealy 
complexions  from  the  sun  with  little  parasols  of  var- 
nished paper.  Every  thing  announced  to  us  that  we 
were  not  far  off  Tchingtou-tbu,  the  capital  of  the  prov- 
ince of  Sse-tchouen.  Before  entering  the  town,  our  con- 
ductor invited  us  to  rest  for  a  short  time  in  a  Bonze 
monastery  that  we  came  to  on  the  road.  In  the  mean 
while,  he  said  he  would  go  himself,  according  to  Chinese 
ceremonial,  to  present  himself  to  the  viceroy  and  ask 
his  pleasure  respecting  us.  The  superior  of  the  convent 
came  to  receive  us,  with  a  profusion  of  salutations,  and 
introduced  us  into  an  immense  saloon,  where  a  repast 
.  was  served  of  tea,  dried  fruits,  pastry  of  all  colors,  fried 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.  57 

in  sesame  oil,  which  the  Chinese  call  hiang-yoii ;  that 
is,  odoriferous. 

Several  monks  of  the  monastery  assisted  their  supe- 
rior in  entertaining  us,  and  keeping  up  the  conversation ; 
but  we  did  not  perceive  among  these  Bonzes  the  frank- 
ness and  sincerity  of  religious  conviction  that  we  had 
found  among  the  Lamas  of  Thibet  and  Tartary.  Their 
manners  were  full  of  courtesy  indeed,  and  their  long 
ash-colored  robes  irreproachable ;  but  we  could  not  dis- 
cover many  signs  of  faith  or  devotion  in  their  skeptical 
and  cunning  faces. 

This  Bonze  monastery  is  one  of  the  richest  and  best- 
maintained  in  China;  and  after  we  had  taken  tea,  the 
superior  invited  us  to  go  over  it.  The  solidity  of  the 
building  and  the  richness  of  its  decoration  attracted  our 
attention ;  but  we  admired  especially  the  gardens,  groves, 
and  park  by  which  it  is  surrounded.  Nothing  fresher 
or  prettier  can  be  imagined.  We  stopped  for  some  mo- 
ments on  the  borders  of  a  large  fish-pond,  where  great 
numbers  of  turtle  were  sporting  amidst  the  broad  leaves 
of  the  water-lily  which  floated  on  the  surface  of  the  wa- 
ter. Another  pond,  smaller  than  the  first,  was  full  of 
black  and  red  fish ;  and  a  young  Bonze,  whose  great 
ears  stuck  out  comically  on  each  side  of  his  newly  shaven 
pate,  was  amusing  himself  by  throwing  them  little  pel- 
lets of  rice-paste ;  for  which  they  appeared  excessively 
eager,  crowding  to  the  surface  and  opening  their  mouths 
to  receive  them. 

After  this  delightful  walk,  we  were  taken  to  the  re- 
ception-room of  the  monastery,  where  we  found  several 
visitors,  and  among  them  a  young  man  of  lively,  easy 
manners,  and  remarkable  volubility  of  tongue,  whom, 
before  he  had  spoken  many  words,  AVC  discovered  to  be 
a  Christian.  "You  are  undoubtedly,"  said  we  to  him,  t 
"of  the  religion  of  the  Lord  of  heaven?"  For  an  an- 

C* 


58  J<)1  KXKY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

swer  he  threw  himself  on  his  knees  before  us  and  asked 
our  blessing.  Such  an  act,  in  the  presence  of  the  Bon- 
zes and  of  a  crowd  of  curious  persons,  indicated  both  a 
lively  faith  and  great  courage ;  and  in  fact  he  was  a 
man  of  very  strong  mind.  He  began,  without  the 
smallest  hesitation,  to  speak  of  the  numerous  Christians 
in  the  capital,  of  the  quarters  of  the  town  in  which  there 
were  most,  and  of  the  happiness  it  was  to  him  to  have 
met  us  ;  he  then  made  a  bold  attack  upon  paganism  and 
pagans,  defended  the  doctrines  and  practices  of  Chris- 
tianity, appealed  to  the  Bonzes  themselves,  rallied  them 
on  their  idols  and  superstitions,  and  summed  up  with 
an  estimate  of  the  value  of  the  theological  books  of  Con- 
fucius, Lao-tze,  and  Buddha.  It  was  a  flood  of  words 
that  seemed  as  if  it  would  never  stop ;  the  Bonzes  were 
disconcerted  at  such  an  impetuous  attack ;  the  specta- 
tors laughed,  and  looked  pleased ;  and  we  could  not,  on 
our  side,  help  being  quite  proud  of  seeing  a  Chinese 
Christian  proclaiming  and  defending  his  faith  in  public. 
It  was  a  thing  as  rare  as  it  was  delightful. 

During  the  long  monologue  of  our  Christian  orator 
there  was  frequent  mention  made  of  a  French  embassy 
that  had  arrived  at  Canton,  and  of  a  certain  great  per- 
sonage named  La-ko-nie*  who  in  concert  with  the  Im- 
perial Commissioner  Ky-yn,  had  arranged  the  affairs  of 
the  Christians  in  China.  In  future  it  was  said  there 
were  to  be  no  more  persecutions  of  them  ;  the  Emperor 
approved  their  doctrine,  and  took  them  under  his  pro- 
tection, etc.,  etc. 

We  did  not  place  any  great  reliance  upon  all  that, 
but  we  endeavored  to  make  out  what  it  really  meant. 
Having,  however,  few  data  to  proceed  upon,  we  did  not 

*  The  Chinese  name  of  M.  de  Lagrenee.  This  French  embassy  had 
arrived  during  our  long  journeys  through  Tartary,  and  this  was  the  first 
time  we  had  heard  it  mentioned. 


JOURNEY   THROUGH   THE   CHINESE   EMPIRE.  59 

succeed  in  unraveling  all  these  enigmas  ;  and  just  as  we 
were  about  to  ask  more  precise  explanations  from  our 
fluent  orator,  four  Mandarins  Avho  had  arrived  from  the 
capital,  invited  us  to  enter  our  palanquins  and  resume 
our  journey. 

The  bearers  carried  us  at  a  run  and  without  stopping 
to  take  breath,  as  far  as  the  walls  of  the  town,  where 
we  found  the  soldiers  of  our  escort  awaiting  us.  The 
precaution  was  by  no  means  unnecessary,  for  without 
this  help  it-  would  have  been  impossible  for  us  to  get 
through  the  streets,  so  compact  and  dense  was  the 
throng  that  impeded  our  passage.  Our  hearts  beat 
somewhat  quicker  than  usual,  for  we  knew  that  we  were 
about  to  be  brought  to  trial  by  order  of  the  Emperor. 

Were  we  to  be  sent  to  Pekin,  to  Canton,  or  to  an- 
other world?  There  had  been  nothing  to  alarm  us 
hitherto ;  but  in  the  absolute  uncertainty  of  what  we 
had  to  expect,  it  was  pardonable  that  we  should  expe- 
rience a  little  emotion. 

At  length  we  arrived  in  front  of  a  great  tribunal,  on 
the  massive  portals  of  which  were  painted  two  monstrous 
divinities  armed  with  great  swords.  The  two  enormous 
folding-doors  were  thrown  open,  and  we  entered,  not 
without  a  thought  of  in  what  manner  we  were  to  go  out 
again. 

From  Ta-tsien-lou,  the  frontier  town,  to  Tching-tou- 
fou,*  the  capital  of  Sse-tchouen,  we  had  made  twelve 
days'  march,  and  had  traversed  nearly  a  thousand  li, 
equivalent  to  about  three  hundred  English  miles. 

*  Fou  signifies  in  China,  a  town  of  the  first  order ;  tcheou,  of  the 
second ;  tsien,  of  the  third :  these  three  orders  of  towns  are  always  in- 
closed by  ramparts. 


CHAPTER  II. 

Conversation  with  the  Prefect  of  the  Garden  of  Flowers — Lodgings  in 
the  Court  of  Justice — Invitation  to  Dinner  with  the  two  Prefects  of 
the  Town — Conversation  with  two  Persons  of  Distinction — Two 
Mandarins  of  Honor  assigned  to  amuse  us — Solemn  Judgment  he- 
fore  the  assembled  Tribunals — Various  Incidents  of  the  Trial — Re- 
port addressed  to  the  Emperor  concerning  us,  and  the  Emperor's  An- 
swer— Imperial  Edicts  in  favor  of  Christians,  obtained  by  the  French 
Embassy  in  China — Insufficiency  of  these  Edicts — Appearance  before 
the  Viceroy — Portrait  of  this  Personage — Dispatch  of  the  Viceroy  to 
the  Emperor — Conversation  with  the  Viceroy. 

THE  capital  of  the  province  of  Sse-tchouen  is  divided 
into  three  prefectures,  charged  with  the  police  and  ad- 
ministrative duties  for  the  whole  town,  Every  prefect 
has  a  tribunal  palace,  where  he  judges  the  affairs  of  his 
own  jurisdiction ;  and  there  he  dwells  with  his  family, 
his  counselors,  scribes,  satellites,  and  his  numerous  do- 
mestics. The  prefectural  tribunal  unto  which  we  were 
now  introduced,  is  called  lloa-yuen,  that  is  to  say,  the 
Garden  of  Flowers ;  and  it  was  therefore  with  this  flow- 
ery prefect  that  we  had  first  to  do.  He  was  a  Manda- 
rin of  about  forty  years  of  age,  short,  broad,  and  round ; 
his  face  was  like  a  great  ball  of  fat,  his  nose  buried  and 
his  eyes  eclipsed,  so  that  he  seemed  to  have  only  two 
little  slits  to  look  through. 

When  he  entered  the  apartment  in  Avhich  we  were 
awaiting  his  pleasure,  he  found  us  reading  some  sen- 
tences in  Mantchou  with  which  the  Avails  were  deco- 
rated, and  asked  us  in  a  very  affable  manner  whether 
we  understood  that  language.  "We  answered  that  we 
had  studied  it  a  little,  and  at  the  same  time  we  endeav- 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.  61 

ored  to  translate  into  Chinese,  the  Mantchou  distich 
that  we  had  before  us,  which  signified : 

"  If  you  are  in  solitude,  be  careful  to  meditate  on  your  own  faults. 
If  you  are  conversing  with  men,  be  careful  not  to  speak  of  the  faults 
of  your  neighbors." 

The  prefect  of  the  Garden  of  Flowers,  "being  by  birth  a 
Mantchou  Tartar,  was  at  first  astonished,  and  then  ex- 
tremely flattered,  to  find  that  we  understood  the  lan- 
guage of  his  country,  that  of  the  conquerors  of  China, 
and  of  the  Imperial  family.  His  funny  little  squeezed- 
up  eyes  twinkled  with  pleasure,  and  he  made  us  sit 
down  on  a  red  satin  divan  and  talk  to  him.  The  con- 
versation had  no  relation  to  our  affairs.  We  spoke  of 
literature,  of  geography,  of  the  winds,  of  snows,  of  bar- 
barous countries  and  civilized  countries.  He  asked  us 
many  particulars  concerning  our  manner  of  traveling 
from  Ta-tsien-lou,  whether  it  was  true  that  as  far  as 
Khioung-tcheou  we  had  been  lodged  in  public  inns, 
etc.,  and  after  strongly  inveighing  against  our  Mussul- 
man Mandarin,  announced  to  us  that  he  was  going  to 
have  us  conducted  to  the  house  appointed  for  our  resi- 
dence. 

At  the  door  of  the  prefecture  we  found,  not  our  trav- 
eling palanquins,  but  others,  larger,  more  convenient 
and  more  elegant ;  and  our  attendants  also  had  been 
changed. 

The  dwelling  assigned  to  us  was  at  a  considerable 
distance,  and  it  was  necessary,  in  order  to  reach  it,  to 
traverse  the  principal  districts  of  the  town.  At  last  we 
reached  a  tribunal  of  the  second  class,  where  resides  a 
Mandarin,  whose  office  a  good  deal  resembles  that  of 
the  Juge  de  Paix,  in  France.  We  shall  have  occasion 
in  the  sequel  to  say  more  of  this  Mandarin  and  his  fam- 
ily. After  having  exchanged  a  few  polite  phrases  with 
the  master  of  the  house,  we  were  installed  in  our  apart- 


G'2  JOURNEY   THROUGH    THE   CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

ments,  which  were  composed  of  a  sleeping-room,  and  a 
saloon  for  receiving  visitors,  for  each  of  us;  but  besides 
this  the  whole  tribunal,  with  all  its  courts  and  gardens, 
and  a  charming  belvedere  that  overlooked  the  town,  and 
whence  the  view  extended  far  into  the  country,  were 
placed  at  our  disposal. 

The  night  had  long  closed  in ;  and  we  were  left  to 
ourselves,  with  leisure  to  meditate  on  the  singularity  of 
our  position.  What  a  drama  had  our  existence  been 
for  the  last  two  years!  Our  peaceable  departure  from 
the  Valley  of  Black  Waters,*  with  Samdadchiemba,  our 
camels,  and  our  blue  tent ;  our  encampments  and  our 
patriarchial  life  in  the  grassy  wastes  of  Tartary ;  the  fa- 
mous Lama  monastery  of  Kounboom,  and  our  long  in- 
tercourse with  the  religious  Buddhists ;  the  great  cara- 
van of  Thibet,  the  horrors  and  sufferings  of  that  terrible 
journey  through  the  deserts  of  High  Asia;  our  abode 
at  Lha-ssa;  and  those  three  frightful  months,  during 
which  we  had  to  climb  mountains  of  snow  and  ice  and 
scale  precipices  ;  all  these  events,  all  these  recollections 
came  crowding  upon  us  at  once  so  as  almost  to  take  away 
our  senses.  And  all  was  not  yet  over:  we  were  now, 
we  thought,  alone  in  the  hands  of  the  Chinese,  without 
protection,  helpless  and  friendless.  But  we  were  wrong ; 
we  had  God  for  a  friend  and  protector.  There  are  cer- 
tain situations  in  life  when,  if  we  lose  our  trust  in 
God,  we  must  fall  into  despair;  but  when  we  place  our 
whole  reliance  upon  Him,  we  become  inspired  with  in- 
domitable courage.  The  Almighty,  we  said,  many  times 
has  saved  our  lives  in  the  most  miraculous  manner  in 
Tartary  and  Thibet;  it  is  not  likely  He  would  do  that, 
to  allow  a  Chinese  afterward  to  dispose  of  us  at  his 
pleasure;  and  we  concluded  that  we  might  make  our- 
selves perfectly  easy,  and  allow  our  little  affairs  to  be 
*  See  Recollections  of  a  Journey,  etc. 


JOURNEY   THROUGH   THE   CHINESE   EMPIRE.  63 

disposed  of  as  best  pleased  his  providence.  The  night 
was  far  advanced ;  we  said  our  prayers,  which,  strictly 
speaking,  might  have  been  the  morning  ones,  and  then 
we  lay  down  in  peace. 

On  the  following  morning  there  was  brought  to  us 
from  the  prefect  a  large  sheet  of  red  paper,  which  proved 
to  be  an  invitation  to  dinner;  and  when  the  hour  had 
arrived,  we  once  more  entered  our  palanquins  and  were 
carried  to  his  house. 

The  tribunals  of  the  Mandarins  have  seldom  any 
thing  very  remarkable  about  them  in  an  architectural 
point  of  view;  the  edifice  is  always  low,  consisting  of 
only  one  floor;  and  the  roof,  which  is  loaded  with  orna- 
ments and  little  flags,  alone  indicates  its  public  charac- 
ter. It  is  always  surrounded  by  a  great  wall,  almost  as 
high  as  the  building  itself.  Within  this  inclosure  you 
see  vast  courts  and  halls,  and  often  gardens,  which  are 
by  no  means  unattractive;  but  the  only  thing  which 
bears  the  stamp  of  grandeur  is  a  series  of  four  or  five 
stately  portals,  placed  in  the  same  direction,  and  sepa- 
rating the  different  courts.  These  portals  are  orna- 
mented with  grand  historical  or  mythological  figures, 
coarsely  painted,  but  always  with  very  striking  colors. 
When  all  these  great  folding-doors  are  opened  in  suc- 
cession with  great  noise  and  display,  at  the  extremity 
of  this  grand  corridor,  the  hall  where  the  judge  is  ad- 
minstering,  or  rather  selling,  justice,  the  effect  on  the 
imagination  of  a  Chinese  must  be  very  striking. 

On  a  raised  platform  in  this  last  hall  is  placed  a  large 
table  covered  with  red  cloth,  and  on  the  two  sides  of 
the  apartment  are  seen  all  kinds  of  weapons  and  instru- 
ments suspended  to  the  walls.  The  Mandarin  is  seated 
behind  the  table,  the  scribes,  counselors,  and  subaltern 
officers  standing  round  him.  Below  the  platform  is  the 
place  reserved  for  the  public,  as  well  as  for  the  accused, 


.-.I  JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

and  for  the  functionaries  whose  business  it  is  to  torture 
the  unfortunate  victims  of  Chinese  justice.  Behind  this 
hall  of  audience  are  the  private  apartments  of  the  Man- 
darin andliis  family. 

Very  often  the  tribunal  is  used  also  for  a  prison,  and 
the  condemned  cells  are  placed  in  the  iirst  court.  We 
saw  here,  when  we  entered,  a  crowd  of  unfortunate  crim- 
inals, with  livid  faces  and  wasted  limbs,  scarcely  covered 
by  a  few  rags.  They  were  crouching  in  the  sunshine ; 
some  had  on  their  shoulders  an  enormous  cangue,  a  sort 
of  movable  pillory ;  others  were  loaded  with  chains ;  and 
some  had  only  fetters  on  their  hands  and  feet. 

The  prefect  of  the  Garden  of  Flowers  did  not  make 
us  wait  long.  As  soon  as  we  had  entered,  he  presented 
himself,  and  introduced  us  to  the  dining-room,  where  we 
found  a  fourth  guest,  the  prefect  of  the  third  district  of 
the  town.  A  single  glance  served  to  recognize  in  him 
the  type  of  the  true  Chinese.  He  was  of  middling 
height  and  sufficiently  plump.  His  features  were  more 
delicate  than  those  of  his  Mantchou  Tartar  colleague,  but 
inferior  in  penetration  and  intelligence ;  his  eyes  were 
suspicious  in  their  expression,  and  not  so  much  arch  as 
wicked. 

We  were  seated  at  a  square  table,  missionary  opposite 
to  missionary,  and  prefect  to  prefect ;  and,  according  to 
Chinese  custom,  the  dinner  began  with  the  dessert.  We 
amused  ourselves  a  long  while  with  the  fruit  and  pre- 
serves, and  our  little  glasses  were  kept  continually  filled 
with  warm  wine.  The  conversation  was  supposed  to 
be  quite  free  and  easy ;  but  we  were  not  long  in  per- 
ceiving that  our  two  magistrates  were  trying  to  subject 
us  to  an  examination,  without  our  perceiving  it.  This 
they  found  no  very  easy  matter.  We  had  been  invited  to 
dinner,  and  so  we  intended  to  dine  in  pence  and  as  gayly 
as  possible;  and  \vr  were,  therefore,  obstinately  and  ma- 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.  6& 

liciously  bent  on  never  going  the  way  they  wanted  to 
drive  us ;  and  when  they  thought  they  had  just  got  us, 
we  suddenly  slipped  aside,  and  made  an  innocent  in- 
quiry about  the  rice  harvest,  or  the  number  of  dynasties 
counted  in  the  Chinese  monarchy.  What  especially 
annoyed  them  was  that  sometimes  we  involuntarily  fell 
into  speaking  French  between  ourselves,  and  then  they 
glanced  at  us  and  each  other  with  such  eager  anxiety, 
that  they  seemed  to  be  trying  to  seize  with  their  eyes 
the  meaning  that  escaped  their  ears.  The  dinner  passed, 
therefore,  in  a  very  amusing  manner ;  and  as  it  had  be- 
gun with  the  dessert,  it  may  be  considered  to  have  been 
quite  in  order  that  it  ended  with  the  soup. 

We  then  rose  from  table ;  every  one  took  his  pipe, 
and  tea  was  served.  The  Mantchou  prefect  left  us  for 
a  moment,  but  soon  returned,  carrying  a  European  book 
and  a  packet.  He  presented  the  book  to  us,  and  asked 
us  whether  AVC  were  acquainted  with  it.  It  was  an  old 
breviary. 

"  This  is  a  Christian  book,"  said  we,  "  a  prayer-book; 
how  comes  it  here  ?"  "  I  have  lived  a  good  deal  among 
Christians,"  was  the  reply;  "  and  one  of  them  made  me 
a  present  of  it." 

We  looked  at  one  another  and  smiled ;  that  was  rather 
more  polite  than  saying,  "You  lie."  "Here  again,"  he 
went  on,  "this  was  given  me  too;"  and  he  opened  an 
old  piece  of  silk  stuff,  in  which  the  packet  was  wrapped, 
and  displayed  a  beautiful  crucifix.  The  two  prefects 
must  have  observed  the  emotion  we  felt  at  the  sight  of 
what  were  to  us  such  memorable  relics ;  for  on  turning 
over  the  breviary  we  had  read  on  the  first  page  the 
name  Monseigneur  Dufraisse,  Bishop  of  Tabraca  and 
Vicar  Apostolic  of  the  province  of  Sse-tchouen.  This 
holy  and  courageous  bishop  had  suffered  martyrdom  in 
the  year  1815,  in  the  town  of  Tching-tou-fou ;  perhaps 


00  JOURNEY   THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

he  had  been  condemned  and  put  to  the  torture  in  the 
very  tribunal  where  we  were  now  standing. 

"These  articles,"  said  we  to  the  Mandarins,  "be- 
longed to  a  Frenchman  who  was  a  chief  of  the  Christian 
religion,  and  whom  you  put  to  death  in  this  very  town, 
thirty  years  ago.  This  man  was  a  saint,  and  you  killed 
him  like  a  malefactor."  Our  Mandarins  appeared  aston- 
ished and  confounded  at  hearing  us  speak  of  an  event 
that  took  place  so  long  ago ;  and,  after  a  moment's  si- 
lence, one  of  them  asked  who  could  have  deceived  us 
by  relating  so  extraordinary  a  fable.  "  Probably,"  he 
added,  smiling,  and  in  a  careless  tone,  "  they  \vere  only 
joking  with  you." 

"No,"  said  we,  "there  is  not  much  to  joke  about  in 
this  business.  It  is  known  to  all  the  nations  in  the 
West  that  you  have  tortured  and  strangled  a  great  num- 
ber of  Christian  missionaries.  Only  a  few  years  ago, 
you  put  to  death  another  Frenchman,  one  of  our  broth- 
ers, at  Ou-chang-fou*  The  two  representatives  of 
Chinese  justice  protested  aloud,  stamped  with  their  feet, 
and  maintained,  with  indescribable  impudence,  that  our 
information  was  false.  This  was,  of  course,  not  the 
moment  to  insist  upon  its  accuracy;  and  we,  therefore, 
contented  ourselves  with  begging  the  prefect  of  the 
Garden  of  Flowers  to  make  us  a  present  of  the  breviary 
and  the  crucifix.  But  our  entreaties  failed  of  success. 
This  curious  personage  endeavored  to  make  us  believe 
that  he  was  keeping  these  things  for  a  dear  friend  of 
his,  who  was  a  Christian,  and  that  to  part  with  them 
would  be  to  violate  all  the  rites  of  honor  and  friend- 
ship; and  thereupon  he  began  to  speak  to  us  of  the 
numerous  Christians  existing  in  the  province  of  Sse- 

*  The  venerable  Perboyre,  missionary  of  the  congregation  of  St. 
Lu/.arc;  martyred  in  1840,  at  Ou-chang-fou,  the  capital  of  the  province 

(if    //<>!!-}><?. 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.  67 

tchouen,  and  to  give  us  some  interesting  details  con- 
cerning them. 

We  had  been  aware  that  the  Chinese  Mandarins  were 
not  ignorant  of  the  progress  of  Christianity  in  their  coun- 
try ;  that  they  knew  the  localities  in  which  neophytes 
were  to  be  found,  and  that  even  the  presence  of  numer- 
ous missionaries  was  no  mystery  to  them;  we  had  sup- 
posed that  the  Christians,  cautious  as  they  are,  would 
scarcely  have  been  able  to  elude  completely  the  vigil- 
ance of  the  Chinese  police,  that  even  the  times  and 
places  of  their  meetings  were  well  enough  known ;  but 
we  did  not  think  that  the  Mandarins  were  quite  as  in- 
timately acquainted  with  their  affairs  as  we  discovered 
them  to  be. 

At  Lha-ssa  the  embassador  Ki-Chan  had  informed 
us,  that  in  the  province  of  Sse-tchouen  we  should  find 
many  converts,  and  he  even  indicated  the  places  where 
they  were  to  be  met  with  in  the  greatest  numbers. 
During  the  time  when  he  was  viceroy  of  that  province, 
he  had  discovered  that  the  environs  of  his  own  palace 
were  almost  entirely  inhabited  by  Christians,  and  he 
could  even  sometimes  hear  the  sound  of  their  hymns, 
Avhen  they  were  singing  on  their  festival  days.  "  I 
know  too,"  he  had  added,  "that  the  chief  of  all  the 
Christians  in  the  province*  is  named  Ma.  I  know  the 
house  where  he  lives;  every  year  he  sends  to  Canton 
for  money  and  various  articles  of  merchandise;  and  at 
a  certain  time  of  the  year,  he  goes  to  visit  all  the  dis- 
tricts where  there  are  Christians.  I  never  disturbed 
him,  because  I  have  been  assured  that  he  is  a  virtuous 
and  charitable  man." 

It  is  evident  from  this,  that  if  the  Chinese  wished  to 
seize  on  all  the  Christians  and  missionaries,  it  would 
be  no  difficult  matter ;  but  the  Mandarins  will  not  pro- 
*  Mgr.  Perocheau,  Bishop  of  Maxula. 


08  JOUKNKY   THROUGH   THE   CHINESE   KMl'lKK. 

ceed  to  that  extremity,  for  if  they  did  they  would  iind 
themselves  overwhelmed  with  business  that  would  bring 
them  no  kind  of  profit,  and  they  might  even  be  ex- 
posed to  be  degraded  and  sent  to  exile.  The  Emperor, 
and  the  great  tribunals  at  Pekin,  would  not  fail  to  ac- 
cuse them  of  negligence,  and  call  them  to  account  for 
not  having  sooner  been  aware  of  what  was  passing  in 
their  Mandarinates,  and  causing  the  laws  of  the  Empire 
to  be  put  in  force. 

Thus  the  personal  interest. of  the  magistrates  is  often, 
for  the  Christians,  the  strongest  guarantee  of  peace  and 
tranquillity. 

The  hour  having  come  in  which  the  prefect  of  the 
Garden  of  Flowers  had  to  administer  justice,  we  took 
our  leave.  The  worthy  Mantchou  had  had  the  com- 
plaisance to  treat  us  to  an  excellent  dinner,  and  we 
were  grateful  to  him  accordingly ;  but  we  did  not  mean 
to  carry  our  gratitude  so  far  as  to  give  him  the  infor- 
mation he  wanted,  and  which  he  had  hoped  to  obtain ; 
so  after  having  addressed  each  other  reciprocally  with 
all  sorts  of  salutations,  and  exhausted  all  the  formulas 
of  Chinese  politeness,  we  returned  home. 

During  our  absence  our  house  had  been  set  in  order, 
by  command  of  the  viceroy.  Two  clever  and  well-be- 
haved young  men  had  been  appointed  to  be  our  valets  de 
chambre,  and  to  two  Mandarins  of  the  lower  class  of  the 
"  Gilt  Copper  Ball"  had  been  assigned  the  office  of  keep- 
ing us  company,  dissipating  our  ennui,  and  making  them- 
selves generally  agreeable  by  the  charms  of  their  con- 
versation. One  of  them,  a  most  prodigious  gabbler, 
was,  though  young,  quite  decrepit  from  the  immoderate 
use  of  opium.  The  other  was  really  old,  and  constantly 
coughing  and  uttering  great  sighs,  probably  for  the  van- 
ished joys  of  his  youth.  The  first  occupied  himself 
from  morning  till  night  with  his  pipe  and  his  opium- 


JOURJS'EY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.  GO 

lamp ;  the  other  sat  crouched  in  a  corner,  picking  out 
seeds  of  the  water-melon  with  his  long  nails,  his  little 
withered  hands  looking  exactly  like  those  of  an  old 
monkey.  He  ate  a  prodigious  quantity  of  these  seeds, 
and  moistened  them  with  copious  libations  of  tea,  say- 
ing that  only  this  kind  of  diet  suited  the  delicacy  of  his 
temperament. 

It  may  Ibe  supposed  that  the  conversational  talents 
of  our  two  companions  were  not  of  the  most  brilliant 
order ;  in  fact,  the  utmost  they  could  do  for  us  was  to 
make  us  regret  the  somewhat  rough  and  rude  manners 
of  our  Tartar  friends ;  but  fortunately  we  had,  from  time 
to  time,  some  visitors  of  distinction,  whose  refined  and 
elegant  deportment  served  to  remind  us  that  we  were  in 
the  capital  of  the  most  civilized  province  perhaps  of  the 
Celestial  Empire. 

Four  days  after  our  arrival  at  Tching-tou-fou  it  was 
signified  to  us,  at  an  early  hour  in  the  morning,  that 
the  documents  relating  to  us  having  been  sufficiently 
studied,  we  were  to  be  brought  to  trial.  This  news,  as 
may  well  be  supposed,  was  to  us  matter  of  great  interest. 

A  trial  in  China,  and  by  order  of  the  Emperor,  was 
no  trifle.  Many  of  our  now  happy  predecessors  had 
only  entered  the  tribunals  to  be  tortured,  and  left  them 
to  suffer  glorious  martyrdom.  This  day,  then,  was  to 
be  decisive  of  our  fate,  and  to  put  an  end  to  all  anxieties 
concerning  the  future,  which  for  us  had  been  so  long  en- 
veloped in  darkness. 

Our  position  was  not,  however,  the  same  as  that  of 
the  greater  part  of  the  missionaries  who  had  had  to  ap- 
pear before  the  Mandarins.  We  had  not  been  arrested 
in  the  Chinese  territory,  no  Christian  of  the  province  had 
been  in  any  relation  with  us,  no  one  was  at  all  impli- 
cated in  our  affairs,  and  we  were  sure  that  no  one  could 
be  compromised  on  our  account. 


70  JOUKNKY    THROUGH   THE   CHINESE   EMl'lKE. 

Samdadchiemba  had  been  tlie  only  companion  of  our 
fatigues  and  privations,  the  only  witness  of  our  desire 
for  the  glory  of  God  and  the  salvation  of  man.  But 
our  dear  neophyte  was  now  no  longer  with  us ;  he  was 
in  his  own  country,  and  sheltered  from  all  danger.  We 
had  only,  therefore,  to  think  of  ourselves ;  the  Chinese 
government  had  only  our  two  heads  to  strike  at,  and 
the  question  was  much  simplified.  In  this  quite  excep- 
tional situation,  we  could,  with  God's  help,  present  our- 
selves before  the  court  in  a  serene  and  equable  state  of 
mind. 

The  general  administration  of  each  province  is  in- 
trusted to  two  $se  or  commissioners,  who  have  their 
tribunals  in  the  capital.  These  are  the  most  important 
after  those  of  the  viceroy.  We  were  conducted  to  the 
judgment  hall  of  the  first  provincial  commissioner,  who 
bears  the  title  of  Pou-tcliing-sse.  His  colleague,  the 
Ngan-tsha-sse,  or  Inspector  of  Crimes,  a  kind  of  attorney- 
general,  was  associated  with  the  principal  Mandarins  of 
the  town;  for,  as  we  were  told,  the  trial  was  to  be  a 
solemn  and  extraordinary  one. 

An  immense  crowd  surrounded  the  tribunal ;  among 
this  assemblage  of  the  populace,  eager  to  see  the  faces 
of  the  "devils  of  the  Western  Sea,"  were  a  few  sym- 
pathetic-looking countenances,  which  seemed  to  say, 
"You  are  in  a  very  unfortunate  position,  and  we  can 
do  nothing  for  you."  The  dejection  of  these  poor  Cliris- 
tians  pained  us,  and  gladly  would  we  have  infused  into 
their  souls  a  little  of  the  calmness  and  peace  with  which 
our  own  were  filled.  The  way  was  cleared  by  soldiers 
armed  with  bamboos  and  rattans,  the  great  doors  were 
opened,  and  we  entered.  We  were  placed  in  a  small 
waiting-room,  with  the  two  amiable  companions  that 
had  been  assigned  to  us,  and  thence  we  could  amuse 
ourselves  by  contemplating  the  movement  and  the  sen- 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.  71 

sation  that  reigned  in  the  tribunal.  The  Mandarins 
who  were  to  take  part  in  the  ceremonial  arrived  in  suc- 
cession, followed  by  suites  of  attendants,  who  had  un- 
commonly the  appearance  of  gangs  of  thieves.  The 
satellites  ran  backward  and  forward,  in  their  long  red 
robes,  and  hideous  peaked  hats  of  black  felt  or  iron  wire, 
surmounted  by  long  pheasant's  feathers.  They  were 
armed  with  long  rusty  swords,  and  carried  chains,  pin- 
cer*,  and  various  instruments  of  torture,  of  strong  and 
terrible  forms.  The  Mandarins  were  collected  in  groups, 
talking  with  one  another,  and  interrupting  themselves 
frequently  by  bursts  of  laughter ;  the  subaltern  officers, 
scribes,  and  executioners,  went  and  came,  as  if  to  give 
themselves  airs  of  importance  ;  and  every  one  seemed  to 
anticipate  a  scene  that  would  be  curious  and  seasoned 
by  unaccustomed  emotions. 

All  this  agitation,  and  these  interminable  prepara- 
tions, had  in  them  something  of  extravagance  and  ex- 
aggeration ;  they  were  evidently  intended  to  frighten 
us.  At  length  every  one  had  found  his  place,  and  the 
tumult  was  succeeded  by  a  profound  silence.  A  mo- 
ment afterward  a  terrible  cry,  uttered  by  a  great  num- 
ber of  voices,  was  heard  in  the  hall  of  audience ;  it  was 
repeated  three  times,  and  our  companions  told  us  that 
it  was  on  the  judges  making  their  solemn  entry  and  in- 
stalling themselves  in  their  seats.  Two  officers,  deco- 
rated with  the  Crystal  Ball,  then  appeared,  and  made 
us  a  sign  to  follow  them.  They  came  between  us,  our 
companions  placed  themselves  behind,  and  the  two  ac- 
cused persons  walked  thus  to  judgment. 

A  great  door  was  then  suddenly  opened,  and  we  be- 
held, at  a  glance,  the  numerous  personages  of  this  Chi- 
nese performance.  Twelve  stone  steps  led  up  to  the 
vast  inclosure  where  the  judges  were  placed;  on  each 
side  of  this  staircase  was  a  line  of  executioners  in  red 


72  JOrUM.Y    TilKoKGlI   TIIK   CHINESE   EMPIKE. 

dresses ;  and  when  the  accused  passed  tranquilly  through 
their  ranks,  they  all  cried  out  with  a  loud  voice,  "  Trem- 
ble! Tremble!"  and  rattled  their  instruments  of  tor- 
ture. We  were  stopped  at  about  the  middle  of  the 
hall,  and  then  eight  officers  of  the  court  proclaimed  in  a 
chanting  voice  the  customary  formula :  "Accused!  on 
your  knees!  on  your  knees!"  The  accused  remained 
silent  and  motionless.  The  summons  was  repeated,  but 
there  was  still  no  alteration  in  their  attitude.  The  two 
officers  with  the  Crystal  Ball,  now  thought  themselves 
called  on  to  come  to  our  assistance,  and  pulled  oiir  arms 
to  help  us  to  kneel  down.  But  a  solemn  look  and  some 
few  emphatic  words  sufficed  to  make  them  let  go  their 
hold.  They  even  judged  it  expedient  to  retire  a  little, 
and  keep  a  respectful  distance. 

"Every  empire,"  said  we,  addressing  our  judges, 
"has  its  own  customs  and  manners.  When  we  ap- 
peared before  the  embassador  Ivi-Chan  at  Lha-ssa,  we 
remained  standing ;  and  Ki-Chan  considered  that  in  do- 
ing so  we  were  only  acting  with  reasonable  conformity 
to  the  customs  of  our  country." 

We  waited  for  an  answer  from  the  president,  but  lit; 
remained  dumb.  The  other  judges  contented  themselves 
Avilh  looking  at  us,  and  communicating  among  them- 
selves by  grimaces.  The  tribunal  had  apparently  been 
arranged  and  decorated  expressly  for  the  purpose  of 
giving  us  a  high  idea  of  the  majesty  of  the  Empire. 
The  walls  were  hung  with  red  draperies,  on  which  cer- 
tain sentences  were  written  in  large  black  characters: 
gigantic  lanterns  of  the  brightest  colors  were  suspended 
from  the  ceiling;  and  behind  the  seats  of  the  judges 
were  seen  the  insignia  of  their  dignity,  borne  by  officers 
in  rich  silk  robes.  The  hall  was  surrounded  by  a  great 
number  of  soldiers  in  uniform  and  under  arms,  ami 
along  the.  sides  were  seated  a  .select  number  »-•!'  speeta- 


JOURNEY    THROUGH   THE   CHINESE   EMPIRE.  73 

tors,  who  had  probably  obtained  their  places  through 
favor  and  patronage. 

The  Pou-tching-sse,  or  first  provincial  commissioner, 
filled  the  office  of  president.  He  was  a  man  of  about 
fifty  years  of  age,  with  thick  lips  of  a  violet  color, 
flabby  cheeks,  a  dirty  white  complexion,  a  square  nose, 
long  flat  shining  ears,  and  a  forehead  deeply  wrinkled. 
His  eyes  were  probably  small  and  red ;  but  they  were 
so  hidden  behind  large  spectacles,  which  were  tied  in" 
their  place  with  a  black  string,  that  this  could  not 
positively  be  ascertained.  His  costume  was  superb ; 
on  his  breast  glittered  the  large  Imperial  dragon,  em- 
broidered in  gold  and  silver ;  a  globe  of  red  coral,  the 
decoration  of  Mandarins  of  the  first  class,  surmounted 
his  official  cap ;  and  a  long  perfumed  chaplet  hung  to 
his  neck.  The  other  judges  were  attired  in  pretty  near- 
ly the  same  fashion,  and  they  had  all  more  or  less  gen- 
uine Chinese  faces,  but  none  of  them  was  comparable 
to  the  president.  His  grand  spectacles  especially,  pro- 
duced on  us  an  astounding  effect,  but  perhaps  not  ex- 
actly the  kind  of  one  he  had  calculated  on.  We  saw 
that  this  man  was  seeking  to  impose  on  us  by  a  display 
of  his  dignity.  He  had  made  no  reply  to  the  observa- 
tion we  had  made  when  we  refused  to  kneel  down ;  he 
had  not  even  made  the  slightest  gesture,  but  had  re- 
mained, ever  since  we  had  entered,  as  motionless  as  a 
statue.  This  somewhat  burlesque  behavior  lasted  long 
enough  to  enable  us  to  study  quite  at  our  ease  the 
curious  society  in  which  we  found  ourselves,  and  it  was 
so  amusing  that  we  began  to  gossip  together  in  French, 
though  in  a  low  voice,  communicating  to  each  other  our 
little  momentary  impressions.  Had  this  lasted  much 
longer,  it  might  have  ended  in  upsetting  our  gravity; 
but  luckily  the  president  made  up  his  mind  to  break 
his  majestic  silence. 
VOL.  I.— D 


74  JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMIMIJi:. 

In  a  nasal,  squeaking  voice  he  began  to  speak,  asking 
us  of  what  country  we  were. 

"We  are  men  of  the  French  Empire." 

"  Why  did  you  quit  your  noble  country  to  come  into 
the  Central  Kingdom  ?" 

"  To  preach  to  the  men  of  your  illustrious  Empire  the 
doctrine  of  the  Lord  of  heaven." 

"  I  have  heard  say  that  this  doctrine  is  very  sublime." 

"  That  is  true ;  but  the  men  of  your  nation  are  en- 
dowed with  intelligence,  and  with  continued  application 
they  may  attain  to  the  acquisition  of  this  doctrine." 

"  You  speak  the  language  of  Pekin ;  where  have  you 
learned  it  ?" 

"  In  the  north  of  the  Empire ;  the  pronunciation  is 
best  there." 

"That  is  true,  but  where  in  the  north?  Who  was 
your  master  ?" 

"Every  one;  we  learned  a  little  here,  and  a  little 
there,  by  speaking  and  hearing  it  spoken." 

After  these  few  questions  the  president  called  an  at- 
tendant, and  ordered  him  to  bring  a  little  casket,  care- 
fully enveloped  in  skins  and  sealed  in  several  places 
with  large  red  seals.  He  then  opened  it  before  us  with 
much  solemnity,  and  showed  us  what  it  contained.  We 
recollected  then  that,  when  we  were  at  Lha-ssa,  and  the 
embassador  Ki-Chan  had  examined  our  trunks,  he  had 
expressed  a  wish  to  keep  some  articles  by  way  of  vouch- 
ers, and  we  had  given  him  some  letters,  and  a  few  little 
translations  from  Tartar  and  Chinese  books.  The  pres- 
ident now  displayed  these  papers  before  us,  inquiring 
at  the  same  time  whether  any  thing  was  wanting ;  and 
in  order  to  assist  us  in  giving  an  accurate  reply,  he 
furnished  us  with  an  exact  list,  made  at  Lha-ssa,  and 
signed  by  Ki-Chan  and  ourselves.  Nothing  was  miss- 
ing ;  and  they  made  us  sign  a  declaration  to  that  effect, 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.  75 

drawn  up  in  French  and  Chinese.  We  could  not  but 
admire  the  exactness  and  regularity  with  which  all  this 
was  done. 

While  the  president  was  interrogating  us,  which  he 
did  with  apparent  good-nature  and  affability,  we  re- 
marked that  the  person  seated  on  his  right  hand,  his 
Ngan-tcha-sse,  or  Inspector  of  Crimes,  a  kind  of  at- 
torney-general, a  wrinkled  old  man  with  a  face  like  a 
polecat,  who  rocked  himself  about,  muttered  continually 
between  his  teeth,  and  seemed  vexed  at  the  turn  the 
discussion  was  taking.  After  finishing  the  examination 
of  the  little  casket,  the  president  became  again  silent 
and  motionless  as  before,  and  the  malicious  public  ac- 
cuser began  to  speak.  He  made  great  use  of  his  oppor- 
tunity ;  discoursed  with  great  volubility  concerning  the 
majesty  of  the  Celestial  Empire,  and  the  inviolability 
of  its  territory;  reproached  us  with  our  audacity,  with 
our  vagabondizing  life  about  the  provinces  and  among 
the  tributary  nations  ;  and  then  fired  off  at  us  a  volley 
of  questions,  which  certainly  proved  his  eager  desire  to 
become  acquainted  with  every  particular  concerning  us. 
He  asked  who  had  introduced  us  to  the  Empire ;  with 
whom  we  had  entered  into  any  relation ;  whether  there 
were  many  European  missionaries  in  China,  where  they 
lived,  what  resources  they  could  command  for  their  sub- 
sistence ;  and  finally,  a  crowd  of  questions  that  appeared 
to  us  exceedingly  impertinent.  His  tone  and  manner, 
too,  were  by  no  means  in  accordance  with  politeness 
and  "  the  rites ;"  and  it  became  necessary  to  give  this 
man  a  lesson,  and  moderate  his  impetuosity.  While 
he  was  perorating  at  a  great  rate,  and  allowing  his  elo- 
quence to  overflow  into  all  sorts  of  subjects,  we  listened 
to  him  with  great  calmness  and  patience.  When  he 
had  finished,  we  said  to  him:  "We  men  of  the  West, 
you  see,  like  to  discuss  matters  of  business  with  cool- 


76  JOUKNKY   THROUGH   THE    (  HINKSi;    KMI'IUK. 

ness  and  method ;  but  your  language  has  been  so  diffuse 
and  violent,  that  we  have  scarcely  been  able  to  make 
out  your  meaning.  Be  so  good  as  to  begin  again,  and 
express  your  thoughts  more  clearly  and  more  peaceably." 

These  wqrds,  pronounced  with  great  slowness  and  grav- 
ity, had  all  the  effect  we  could  have  desired ;  whispers 
and  significant  smiles  began  to  circulate  through  the  as- 
sembly, and  the  judges  cast  jocose  glances  at  the  *'  In- 
spector of  Crimes,"  who  was  evidently  quite  disconcert- 
ed. He  wished  to  resume  liis  speech ;  but  his  ideas 
had  become  so  confused,  that  he  did  not  seem  to  know 
what  he  had  been  saying. 

We  then  addressed  the  president,  saying  that,  as  we 
found  nothing  bnt  disorder  and  confusion  in  the  speech 
of  the  Inspector  of  Crimes,  we  could  not  possibly  reply 
to  it;  and  begging  that  he  would  himself  continue  the 
examination,  as  "We  men  of  the  West  admired  dignity 
and  precision  of  language." 

These  words  tickled  the  vanity  of  the  president ;  he 
returned  to  us  our  cajolery  with  interest;  and  at  last 
inquired  who  had  brought  us  to  China,  and  with  whom 
we  had  lodged. 

" Our  hearts  are  saddened,"  we  replied,  "that  we  are 
not  able  to  satisfy  you  on  this  point.  We  will  speak  to 
you  of  ourselves  as  much  as  you  please;  but  of  those 
who  have  been  in  relation  with  us,  never  a  word.  Our 
resolution  on  that  point  has  been  long  since  taken,  and 
there  is  no  human  power  capable  of  inducing  us  to  alter 
it." 

"But  you  must  answer!"  cried  the  Inspector  of 
Crimes,  gesticulating  violently;  "you  must  answer! 
How  else  would  truth  be  found  in  this  investigation  ?" 

"The  president  has  questioned  us  in  a  noble  and  au- 
thoritative manner,  and  we  have  replied  to  him  with 
simplicity  and  frankness.  As  for  you,  Inspector  of 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.  77 

Crimes,  we  have  already  said  that  we  do  not  understand 
you." 

The  Assessor  of  the  Left  here  cut  short  the  dispute 
by  giving  us  a  large  sheet  of  paper  to  examine.  It 
contained  nothing  but  an  alphabet  of  European  letters 
coarsely  drawn.  Probably  it  had  been  obtained  in  the 
pillage  of  some  Christian  establishment,  where  young- 
Chinese  were  being  brought  up  to  the  ecclesiastical  pro- 
fession. 

"Do  you  know  that  paper?"  asked  the  Assessor. 

"  Yes.  They  are  the  twenty-four  radical  signs,  with 
which  all  the  words  of  our  language  are  constructed." 

"  Can  you  read  them,  and  let  us  hear  the  sound  of 
them  ?" 

One  of  us  had  then  the  complaisance  to  repeat  sol- 
emnly his  ABC;  and  during  the  time,  each  of  the 
judges  drew  from  his  boot,  which  in  China  often  serves 
for  a  pocket,  a  copy  of  the  alphabet,  in  which  the  pro- 
nunciation of  every  European  letter  had  been  given,  bet- 
ter or  worse,  in  Chinese  characters.  It  seems  that  this 
incident  had  been  concerted  and  prepared  beforehand. 

Every  judge  had  his  eyes  intently  fixed  upon  the 
paper,  and  doubtless  promised  himself  to  make  in  this 
one  lesson  great  progress  in  a  European  language.  The 
Assessor  of  the  Left,  keeping  his  eyes  and  the  fore- 
finger of  his  right  hand  fixed  on  the  first  letter,  and  ad- 
dressing himself  to  the  one  of  the  prisoners  who  had 
just  said  ABC,  begged  him  to  repeat  the  letters 
slowly,  and  pause  a  little  on  each. 

The  prisoner,  however,  making  four  steps  forward, 
and  politely  extending  his  alphabet  toward  the  philolog- 
ical judge,  observed : 

"  I  had  thought  we  came  here  to  submit  to  trial;  but 
it  seems  we  came  to  be  schoolmasters,  and  you  to  be 
our  scholars." 


78  JOURNEY  THROUGH   T1IK   CHINKSK    K.Ml'IKK. 

A  peal  of  laughter  shook  the  assembly,  in  which  the 
solemn  president,  and  even  the  Inspector  of  Crimes, 
took  part ;  and  thus  terminated  their  lesson  in  our  lan- 
guage. 

It  will  be  observed  that  this  terrible  trial  had  been 
gradually  assuming  a  less  formidable  and  more  amusing 
aspect.  The  poor  accused  persons  might  at  least  hope 
there  was  now  no  intention  of  tearing  their  flesh  with 
red-hot  pincers,  or  sticking  sharp  reeds  under  their 
nails.  The  faces  of  the  executioners  assumed  a  less 
ferocious  expression,  and  the  instruments  of  torture  be- 
gan to  look  very  much  like  an  idle  parade. 

The  president  then  asked  us,  what  good  it  was  to  the 
French  to  come  and  make  Christians  in  China?  what 
advantage  they  could  hope  for  from  it  ?  "  Material  ad- 
vantage ?  None !  France  has  no  need  of  gold  or  silver, 
or  of  the  productions  of  foreign  countries ;  she  makes, 
on  the  contrary,  enormous  sacrifices  to  them  out  of  pure 
generosity.  She  sends  you  the  means  of  founding 
schools,  she  collects  your  forsaken  children,  and  often 
feeds  your  poor  in  times  of  famine.  But,  over  and 
above  all  this,  she  sends  you  the  truth.  You  say  that 
all  men  are  brothers,  and  this  is  true ;  this  is  why  they 
all  ought  to  worship  the  same  God,  He  who  is  the  Fa- 
ther of  us  all.  The  nations  of  Europe  know  the  true 
God,  and  they  come  to  make  Him  known  to  you.  The 
happiness  which  consists  in  making  the  truth  known 
and  loved,  this  is  the  profit  sought  for  by  the  mission- 
aries who  come  to  you." 

The  president  and  the  other  judges,  with  the  excep- 
tion always  of  the  Inspector  of  Crimes,  then  asked  for 
some  information  concerning  the  Christian  religion ;  and 
this  we  gave  them  with  the  greatest  eagerness.  At 
length  the  president  said  to  us,  in  a  very  affable  man- 
ner, that  doubtless  we  had  by  this  time  some  need  of 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.  79 

rest,  and  that  this  was  enough  for  to-day.  Thereupon 
the  Court  rose,  we  made  a  profound  bow,  and  the  judges 
departed  on  their  side  and  we  on  ours,  while  the  sol- 
diers and  satellites  uttered  yells  that  shook  the  founda- 
tion of  the  building,  this  being,  it  appears,  the  custom- 
ary ceremonial  on  the  entrance  and  departure  of  the  offi- 
cial persons. 

This  first  inquiry  had  then  terminated  in  a  favor- 
able manner;  at  least,  we  concluded  as  much  from  the 
congratulations  we  received  in  traversing  the  halls  and 
courts  on  our  return.  The  Mandarins  of  the  town,  who 
had  attended  the  trial  in  order  to  increase  the  dignity 
and  splendor  of  the  Court,  saluted  us  in  an  affected 
manner,  saying  that  all  was  well,  and  that  our  affairs 
were  going  on  very  prosperously.  In  the  different  quar- 
ters of  the  town  that  we  passed  through,  we  met  num- 
bers of  Christians,  whose  faces  were  expanded  and  beam- 
ing with  joy,  and  whom  we  recognized  by  their  making 
the  sign  of  the  cross  as  we  went  by ;  and  glad  were  we 
to  see  confidence  and  courage  reviving  in  the  hearts  of 
these  poor  people,  who  had  doubtless  suffered  much  from 
learning  that  we  were  in  the  hands  of  the  deplorable 
mockery  of  justice  that  exists  in  their  country. 

Our  two  Mandarins  of  honor,  who  during  the  long 
sitting  of  the  court  had  had  to  remain  standing  behind 
us,  no  doubt  also  shared  in  the  emotions  of  the  day  and 
the  general  joy;  but  they  were  overcome  by  fatigue, 
and  as  soon  as  we  had  reached  our  abode,  they  flung 
themselves  with  impassioned  eagerness,  the  one  on  his 
pipe,  the  other  on  his  melon  seeds.  In  the  evening 
we  received  a  great  number  of  visitors  of  distinction, 
and  we  endeavored  to  find  out  what  there  might  still 
be  for  us  to  fear  or  to  hope.  It  was  generally  agreed 
that  we  should  be  well  treated ;  but  that  our  trial  would 
be  greatly  protracted,  and  that  in  all  probability  we 


80  JOURNEY   TIIKOL'GII  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

should  have  to  go  to  Pekin.  Some  said  that  the  Em- 
peror himself  wished  to  question  us,  others  thought 
that  the  King-pou  or  grand  tribunal  of  crimes,  now  sit- 
ting at  Pekin,  would  ultimately  decide  our  fate.  One 
thing  was  certain,  namely,  that  the  Emperor  had  sent  a 
dispatch  to  the  viceroy  on  the  subject  of  our  affairs. 
We  asked  to  see  it ;  but  our  request  was  refused,  and 
the  Chinese  were  even  scandalized  at  our  audacity  in 
wishing  to  cast  our  eyes  on  what  had  been  written  by  the 
"  Son  of  Heaven."  The  viceroy  alone  had  read  it,  and 
had  mentioned  something  of  its  contents  to  his  court- 
iers. A  year  afterward,  when  we  were  at  Macao,  we 
found  means  to  procure  the  Report  that  the  viceroy  had 
sent  to  court  concerning  us,  and  we  found  in  that  a  por- 
tion of  this  famous  Imperial  dispatch.  The  Report  be- 
gins thus : 

"Report  addressed  to  the  Emperor,  on  the  fourth  day 
of  the  fourth  moon  of  the  twenty-sixth  year  of  Tao- 
kouang  (1846). 

"  In  virtue  of  the  powers  conferred  by  a  supreme 
decree,  Ki-Chan  has  announced  to  your  Majesty  that  lie 
has  arrested  certain  strangers  from  Fou-lansi  (France) ; 
and  that  he  has  seized  certain  foreign  books  and  writings 
in  strange  characters.  He  has  added,  'It  appears  from 
the  declaration  of  these  strangers,  that,  by  way  of  Can- 
ton and  other  places,  they  have  arrived  at  the  capital 
(Pekin) ;  that  returning  thence  by  Ching-king  (Moukden, 
the  capital  of  Mantchuria),  they  have  traversed  Mon- 
golia and  visited  Si-tsang  (Thibet)  with  the  purpose  of 
preaching  their  religion.'  That  after  having  interro- 
gated these  strangers,  he  has  charged  a  magistrate  to 
conduct  them  into  the  province  Ssc-tchouen,  etc.  As 
the  aforesaid  strangers  understand  the  Chinese  language, 
and  can  read  and  WTite  both  Mantchou  and  Mongol, 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE   CHINESE  EMPIRE.  81 

it  has  not  appeared  very  certain  to  your  Majesty  that 
they  really  were  from  France,  and  your  Majesty  has  for- 
warded to  me  a  dispatch,  sealed  with  the  Imperial  seal, 
and  inclosing  the  following  orders :  '  When  they  shall 
have  arrived  at  Sse-tchouen,  inquire  with  care  into  all 
the  circumstances  of  their  journey,  as  well  as  the  names 
of  the  places  through  which  they  have  passed,  and  en- 
deavor to  discover  the  truth.  The  moment  of  their 
arrival,  send  to  me  a  copy  of  the  first  report,  and  of 
their  declaration.  Have  their  letters  and  their  books 
in  foreign  languages  examined,  as  well  as  the  arti- 
cles inclosed  in  the  wooden  case,  and  transmit  to  me, 
at  the  same  time,  all  necessary  information.  I  ad- 
dress to  you  this  Imperial  order  that  you  may  make 
yourself  acquainted  with  it.  Respect  this !  Respect 
this!'" 

According  to  this  Imperial  document,  therefore,  it  ap- 
peared that  at  the  court  of  Pekin  they  had  not  quite 
made  up  their  minds  on  the  subject  of  our  nationality. 
Since  we  knew  how  to  read  and  speak  Chinese,  Mantchou, 
and  Mongol,  the  "  Son  of  Heaven"  was  inclined  to  think 
that  we  were  not  really  Frenchmen,  and  had  charged 
the  Viceroy  of  Sse-tchouen  to  clear  lip  this  difficulty. 
Our  fate  depended  on  the  new  information  that  was  to 
be  given  to  the  Emperor,  and  the  opinion  of  those  who 
supposed  we  should  have  to  go  to  Pekin  did  not  seem 
without  foundation.  For  ourselves,  the  idea  of  traveling 
to  Pekin  appeared  by  no  means  disagreeable ;  we  had 
been  so  tossed  about  for  the  last  two  years,  that  no  change 
in  our  itinerary  could  well  put  us  out  of  our  way.  A 
particular  circumstance,  too,  that  had  just  come  to  our 
knowledge,  made  us  think  with  much  pleasure  of  the 
chance  of  seeing  the  court  of  Pekin,  and  finding  ourselves 
face  to  face  with  that  astonishing  monarch  who  governs 


82  JOUKNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

"the  ten  thousand  kingdoms,  and  the  four  seas  which 
are  under  heaven." 

In  returning  from  the  palace  of  the  provincial  commis- 
sioner, while  we  were  crossing  a  kind  of  square  thronged 
with  curious  people,  a  little  packet  had  been  with  great 
adroitness  flung  into  our  palanquin,  and  of  course  we 
made  haste  to  conceal  it. 

In  the  evening,  when  we  at  length  found  ourselves 
alone  in  our  chamber,  and  had  not  to  dread  the  indis- 
cretion of  visitors,  we  eagerly  opened  and  examined  the 
mysterious  missive.  It  proved  to  be  a  long  letter  from 
the  Chinese  priest,  charged  with  the  care  of  the  Chris- 
tians of  Tching-tou-fou.  It  gave  us  clear  and  precise 
information  concerning  the  embassy  of  M.  Lagrenee, 
and  we  immediately  recognized  in  him  the  La-ko-nie 
who  had  been  mentioned  to  us  in  so  vague  a  manner  by 
the  young  Christian  we  had  met  in  the  Bonze  convent 
before  entering  the  town.  In  communicating  to  us  the 
memorial  and  the  edicts  in  favor  of  the  Christians  ob- 
tained by  M.  Lagrenee,  this  missionary  warned  us  that, 
notwithstanding  all  these  important  concessions,  the  posi- 
tion of  the  Christians  was  in  reality  very  little  improved ; 
and  that  in  many  localities  the  persecution  was  still  go- 
ing on  with  unabated  severity.  As  very  false  impres- 
sions have  been  created  in  France,  on  the  subject  of 
the  religious  liberty  obtained  by  the  embassy  sent  by 
M.  Guizot  to  China,  we  will  now  enter  into  a  few  de- 
tails with  respect  to  it. 

After  having  concluded  a  treaty  of  commerce  between 
France  and  China,  a  treaty  which  was  the  principal  ob- 
ject of  the  embassy,  M.  Lagrenee  wished  before  his  re- 
turn to  make  some  attempt  to  ameliorate  the  fate  of  the 
Chinese  Christians  and  missionaries  in  these  unfortu- 
nate countries.  He  had  not,  indeed,  received  from  his 
government  any  official  commission  to  that  effect ;  and 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.  83 

it  must  be  acknowledged  it  was  a  very  delicate  and  dif- 
ficult business  to  undertake.  The  representative  of  the 
French  government  might,  certainly,  protest  against  the 
atrocious  executions  of  many  of  the  missionaries ;  he 
might  require  that  in  future  Europeans  arrested  in  the 
interior  should  be  sent  back  to  one  of  the  free  ports, 
without  being  subjected  to  ill  treatment ;  the  English, 
in  their  treaty  of  Nankin,  had  already  carried  this  equi- 
table measure.  But  to  demand  from  the  Emperor  of 
China  the  religious  liberty  of  his  own  subjects,  was 
rather  a  more  awkward  thing ;  for,  in  fact,  what  claim 
had  the  nations  of  Europe  to  interfere  in  the  govern- 
ment of  the  Celestial  Empire,  and  dictate  to  the  Emper- 
or the  measures  he  should  adopt  for  the  government  of 
his  own  people  ?  It  is  evident  that  the  French  embas- 
sador  who  should  attempt  to  negotiate  with  the  Impe- 
rial commissioner  with  this  view,  would  be  considered 
very  officious,  but  not  at  all  official,  in  his  conduct. 
M.  Lagrenee  could  not  possibly  demand,  in  the  name 
of  King  Louis  Philippe,  that  the  Emperor  Tao-kouang 
should  leave  his  subjects  free  to  profess  the  Christian 
religion. 

The  opportunity,  nevertheless,  was  a  very  favorable 
one.  The  Chinese  were  still  smarting  under  the  attack 
of  the  English,  and  were  perfectly  well  disposed  to 
promise  any  thing  to  Europeans — of  course  with  the 
mental  reservation  of  breaking  their  promises  whenever 
it  should  be  found  convenient.  And  that  was  in  fact 
precisely  what  took  place.  After  long  and  earnest  en- 
treaties on  the  part  of  M.  Lagrenee,  which  are  a  proof 
of  the  interest  he  took  in  the  cause  of  the  Chinese  mis- 
sions, the  Imperial  commissioner  Ky-yn,  addressed  to 
his  Emperor  the  following  memorial. 

"  Ky-yn,  Grand  Imperial  Commissioner  and  Viceroy 


fc-1  JOURNEY  THBOUGH   TIIK  CHINESE   K.MI'IR!.. 

of  the  two  provinces  of  Kouang-tong  and  Kouang-si, 
presents  respectfully  this  memorial. 

"After  a  profound  investigation,  I  have  come  to  the 
conclusion  that  the  religion  of  the  Lord  of  heaven,*  is 
that  which  is  venerated  and  professed  by  all  the  nations 
of  the  West.  Its  principal  aim  is  to  exhort  to  good  and 
to  repress  evil.  Formerly,  under  the  dynasty  of  Miny, 
it  penetrated  into  the  Central  Kingdom,  f  and  at  that 
epoch  it  was  not  prohibited.  Subsequently,  as  it  often 
happens,  there  were  found  among  the  Chinese  who  fol- 
lowed the  religion,  men  who  abused  it  to  do  wrong, 
and  the  magistrates  sought  out  and  punished  the  guilty. 
Their  judgments  are  recorded  in  the  judicial  Acts. 

"Under  the  reign  of  Kea-Tdng,  a  special  article  of 
the  penal  code  was  promulgated  for  the  punishment  of 
these  crimes.  It  was  intended  to  prevent  Chinese  Chris- 
tians from  doing  wrong,  and  by  no  means  to  prohibit 
the  religion  venerated  and  professed  by  the  nations  01 
the  West.  I  dare,  therefore,  to  supplicate  your  Ma- 
jesty for  the  future  to  exempt  from  chastisement  those 
Chinese  who  profess  the  Christian  religion,  and  who 
have  not  been  found  guilty  of  any  crime  or  disorder. 

"As  for  the  French  and  the  other  foreigners  who  pro- 
fess the  Christian  religion,  they  have  been  permitted  to 
build  churches  and  chapels  in  the  territory  of  the  five 
ports  which  are  open  to  commerce ;  but  they  must  not 
take  the  liberty  of  entering  into  the  interior  of  the  Em- 
pire to  preach  their  religion.  If  any  one  in  defiance  of 
this  prohibition  should  go  beyond  the  assigned  limits, 

*  The  Chinese  designate  thus  the  Christian  religion. 

t  Toward  the  end  of  the  16th  century.  Chrisliar.lty  did,  in  fact, 
penetrate  into  China  as  early  as  the  f>th  and  Gth  century;  and  espe- 
cially in  the  13th,  it  was  very  flourishing;  at  this  epoch  there  existed 
at  J'ekin  an  archbishop  with  four  suffragans.  The  Imperial  commis- 
sioner Ky-yn  might  be  ignorant  of  this  fact,  but  it  is  vexatious  that  no 
one  should  be  found  to  inform  him  of  it. 


JOURNEY   THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.  85 

and  make  rash  excursions  into  other  districts,  the  local 
authorities  are  to  seize  him  and  deliver  him  to  the  consul 
of  his  nation,  in  order  that  he  may  be  kept  within  the 
bounds  of  his  duty  and  punished.  But  he  is  not  to  be 
chastised  summarily,  or  put  to  death. 

"  By  that  means  your  Majesty  will  show  your  benevo- 
lence and  your  affection  for  virtuous  men ;  the  tares 
will  not  be  confounded  with  the  good  grain,  and  your 
sentiments  and  the  justice  of  the  laws  will  be  made 
manifest. 

"Supplicating  your  Majesty  to  exempt  from  all  chas- 
tisement the  Christians  who  remain  honest  and  virtuous 
in  their  conduct,  I  venture  humbly  to  present  this  peti- 
tion, in  order  that  your  August  Goodness  may  deign  to 
approve  my  plan,  and  command  it  to  be  executed. 

"  (Respectful  Petition)." 

THE  APPROVAL   OF   THE  EMPEROR. 

"On  the  nineteenth  day  of  the  eleventh  moon  of  the 
twentb-fourty  year  of  Tao-houang  (1844),  I  received 
words  written  in  vermilion  : 

"I  ACQUIESCE  IN  THIS  PETITION.     RESPECT   THIS!" 

In  conformity  with  this  approval,  an  Imperial  edict 
was  issued,  addressed  to  the  viceroys  and  governors  of 
provinces,  eulogizing  the  Christian  religion,  and  forbid- 
ding for  the  future  all  pursuit  of  Chinese  Christians  on 
account  of  it  by  any  of  the  courts  great  or  small. 

The  missionaries  and  Christians  were  transported  with 
joy  when  these  edicts  were  made  known ;  they  thought 
they  saw  in  them  the  dawn  of  the  long-desired  era  of 
religious  liberty  for  the  missions  of  China,  and  the  con- 
sequent rapid  progress  of  Christianity  ;  and  the  blessings 
and  thanks  of  Europe  and  Asia  were  poured  out  on  the 
French  embassy. 


86  JOUKXEY  TIIliOUGH    THE    CHINESE   EMPIRE. 

Those,  however,  who  had  a  practical  knowledge  of 
the  Chinese  and  the  Mandarins,  could  foresee  that  in 
reality  the  results  of  these  edicts  would  be  far  from  cor- 
responding to  these  magnificent  hopes.  The  Imperial 
command  Avas  promulgated  and  made  known  to  the  five 
free  ports  open  to  European  commerce ;  and  M.  Lagre- 
nee  desired  that  it  should  be  published  also  in  the  inte- 
rior of  the  Empire  ;  which  was  promised,  but  of  course 
not  done. 

Copies  of  the  petition  of  the  commissioner  Ky-yn  and 
of  the  Emperor's  edict  were,  however,  distributed  in 
great  numbers  among  the  Christian  communities  of  the 
interior,  and  the  neophytes  were  all  able  to  read  the 
eulogium  that  the  Emperor  had  pronounced  on  their  re- 
ligion, and  the  prohibition  of  any  future  persecutions 
that  he  had  addressed  to  the  Mandarins,  and  they  took 
it  all  for  earnest.  The  Christians  believed  themselves 
perfectly  free ;  and  were  for  a  brief  interval  convinced 
that,  if  the  government  of  Pekin  did  not  yet  favor  com- 
pletely their  mode  of  belief,  it  at  least  granted  it  perfect 
toleration. 

But  the  local  persecutions  went  on,  nevertheless,  as 
if  neither  embassador,  nor  petition,  nor  edict  had  ever 
existed;  and  the  Christians  soon  discovered  that  they 
were  building  on  shifting  sands,  and  that  the  paper  lib- 
erty that  had  found  its  way  to  them,  like  a  contraband 
article,  was  a  mere  chimera. 

Those  who  were  dragged  before  the  tribunals,  and 
who  were  so  simple  as  to  claim  the  protection  of  the 
Imperial  edict  and  of  the  French  embassy,  were  silenced 
in  the  most  imperious  manner.  "What !"  said  the  Man- 
darins, "has  a  low  fellow  like  you  the  impudence  to 
pretend  to  interfere  in  the  transactions  of  the  Emperor 
with  foreign  nations !" 

The  negotiations  in  favor  of  religious  liberty,  that 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.  87 

took  place  between  the  French  embassador  and  the  cun- 
ning Chinese  diplomatists,  were  in  fact  of  little  value. 
They  had  no  official  character.  The  French  govern- 
ment had  made  no  demand  of  the  Emperor  of  China, 
and  he  had  made  no  promise  to  France.  All  that  had 
passed  was  merely  a  personal  communication  between 
M.  Lagrenee  and  Ky-yn.  The  one  had  expressed 
strongly  his  sympathy  for  the  Chinese  Christians,  and 
the  other  had  courteously  recommended  them  to  the 
protection  of  his  Emperor. 

The  French  embassador  once  gone,  and  Ky-yn  recall- 
ed, all  these  fine  promises  were  scattered  to  the  winds. 

This  is,  in  short,  all  that  was  obtained.  In  the  peti- 
tion of  the  Imperial  commissioner  he  supplicates  the 
Emperor  "to  deign  for  the  future  to  exempt  from  chas- 
tisement, Chinese  as  well  as  foreigners  who  shall  be 
found  professing  the  Christian  religion*  .but  who  have 
not  been  guilty  of  any  crime  or  disorder."  But  who 
was  to  watch  the  Mandarins,  and  find  out  whether  they 
persecuted  the  Christians  or  not?  Could  the  Chinese 
government  permit  foreigners  to  overlook  the  conduct 
of  its  own  officers  ?  If  complaints  were  made,  could  not 
the  Chinese  always  reply  to  them  by  falsehood  ?  Could 
they  not  always  say  that  the  Christians  detained  in 
prison,  or  sent  into  exile,  were  punished  for  other  crimes 
than  that  of  their  religious  faith?  And  in  fact  this  is 
precisely  what  has  been  done,  and  what  it  was  very 
easy  to  foresee. 

On  the  subject  of  the  missionaries  it  is  said  in  the 
petition,  "neither  the  French  nor  other  foreigners  are 
to  preach  their  religion  in  the  interior  of  the  Empire ; 
and  if  any  one,  in  defiance  of  this  prohibition,  should 
venture  to  pass  beyond  the  assigned  limits,  he  shall  be 
delivered  to  the  consul  of  his  nation,  in  order  that  he 
may  be  restrained  within  his  duty  and  punished." 


ss         JOUU.NKY  Tm;or<;ii  Tin:  CHINKS*:  EMPIRE. 

Now,  it  is  well  known  that  our  consuls  would  not 
c.xactly  punish  a  missionary  for  preaching  the  Gospel ; 
but  these  expressions  would  lead  the  Chinese  to  believe 
that  we  are  disorderly  men,  stepping  beyond  the  line 
of  our  duty,  and  punishable  by  the  Mandarins  of  our 
own  country;  and  it  is  evident  such  an  impression  is 
not  likely  to  increase  the  influence  of  the  missionaries. 
They  may,  perhaps,  no  longer  be  lawfully  put  to  death 
when  they  are  arrested;  but  can  one  be  surprised  that, 
on  their  painful  journeys  back  to  their  consuls,  they  are 
subjected  to  the  contempt,  the  sarcasms,  and  the  ill- 
treatment  of  the  Mandarins  and  their  satellites? 

If  we  should  put  it  to  the  missionaries  themselves  who 
are  preaching  the  Gospel  in  China  in  the  midst  of  great 
sufferings  and  privations,  whether  they  prefer  the  risk 
of  death  that  they  were  liable  to  in  former  days,  or  the 
melancholy  position  in  which  they  now  find  themselves, 
we  know  them  sufficiently  to  be  sure  of  their  answer. 
We  have  never  studied  diplomacy ;  but  it  certainly 
seems  that  the  excellent  intentions  of  the  French  em- 
bassador  might  have  lent  a  more  effectual  support  to 
the  propagation  of  the  faith.  At  various  epochs  French 
missionaries  have  suffered  a  martyr's  death  in  various 
parts  of  China.  In  1840,  M.  Perboyre,  an  apostle  and 
a  saint,  was  put  to  death  by  order  of  the  Emperor,  in  a 
grand  ceremonial  on  the  public  square  of  the  capital  of 
llou-pe  ;  not  a  word  was  said  of  this  atrocious  and  ini- 
quitous execution,  or  of  any  other.  When  France  en- 
tered into  diplomatic  relation  with  China,  the  Imperial 
commissioner  must  have  expected  to  be  questioned  con- 
cerning these  judicial  assassinations,  and  the  silence 
of  our  embassador  must  have  greatly  surprised  him. 
France  certainly  had  a  right  to  ask  of  the-  Chinese  gov- 
ernment some  account  of  so  many  Frenchmen  unjustly 
tortured  and  put  to  death.  She  might  have  ventured 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.  89 

at  least  to  ask  the  question,  for  what  crime  the  Emperor 
had  strangled  them  ?  A  few  inquiries  on  the  subject 
of  the  venerable  martyr  of  1840,  might  have  helped  the 
Chinese  to  believe  that  France  does  take  some  interest 
in  the  lives  of  her  children.  The  Chinese  government 
ought,  in  our  opinion,  to  have  been  strongly  urged  on 
this  point ;  the  moment  was  favorable,  and  it  ought  to 
have  been  caught  in  the  fact  of  its  savage  barbarism, 
and  public  and  honorable  amends  to  the  memory  of  our 
martyrs  inexorably  demanded  from  it,  in  the  face  of  the 
whole  Empire ;  an  apology  ought  to  have  appeared  in 
the  Pekin  gazette,  and  an  expiatory  monument  have 
been  erected  on  the  public  square  of  Ou-tchang-fou, 
where  M.  Perboyre  was  strangled.  In  this  manner  the 
Christian  religion  would  have  been  forever  glorified  in 
the  Empire,  the  Christians  raised  in  public  opinion,  and 
the  life  of  a  missionary  rendered  inviolable.  It  would 
then  have  been  needless  to  stipulate  that,  for  the  future, 
the  Chinese  should  not  chastise  them  in  a  summary 
manner,  or  put  them  to  death.  They  would  themselves 
have  taken  very  good  care  to  do  nothing  of  the  kind. 
This  ought  to  have  been  the  first  business  of  the  em- 
bassy, on  its  arrival  at  Canton ;  assuredly,  in  so  doing 
it  would  have  had  justice  on  its  side ;  and  the  parade, 
the  festivals,  and  the  shakings  of  hands  might  have 
come  afterward. 

Do  not  let  it  be  thought,  however,  that  we  have  the 
slightest  intention  of  throwing  any  blame  on  the  embas- 
sador.  Since  we  have  undertaken  to  speak  of  China, 
we  must  do  so  truly  and  frankly,  to  the  best  of  our 
knowledge  and  belief ;  but  we  are  fully  persuaded  that 
M.  Lagrenee  has  himself  the  interest  of  the  missions 
much  at  heart,  and  that,  if  it  only  depended  on  him,  all 
the  Chinese  would  be  Christians,  and  would  profess 
their  religion  in  perfect  liberty.  We  know  how  diffi- 


90  JOURNEY   THROUGH   THE   CHINESE   EMPIRE. 

cult  and  delicate  was  his  task ;  that  he  had  to  act  on 
his  own  responsibility,  and  without  any  official  instruc- 
tion from  his  government ;  but  we  can  not  avoid  speak- 
ing of  these  things  as  they  are.  In  1844,  people  in  Eu- 
rope were  generally  convinced,  and  many  are  so  still, 
that  China  was  at  length  open,  and  the  Christian  relig- 
ion entirely  free. 

But  the  truth  is,  unfortunately,  that  the  English  hare 
no  more  opened  China,  commercially  speaking,  than  the 
French  embassador  has  obtained  for  the  Chinese  relia:- 

O 

ious  liberty.  The  subjects  of  her  Britannic  Majesty 
would  not  venture  to  set  foot  in  the  interior  of  the  city 
of  Canton,  although  by  treaty  they  are  in  possession  of 
this  privilege ;  they  can  not  go  beyond  its  environs, 
for  the  intolerance  and  hatred  of  the  native  population 
keeps  them  in  sonic  measure  blockaded  in  their  facto- 
ries. As  for  the  Christians,  their  situation  is  not  in  the 
least  ameliorated ;  they  are,  as  they  were  before,  at  the 
mercy  of  the  Mandarins,  who  persecute  them,  pillage 
them,  throw  them  into  prison,  torture  them,  and  send 
them  to  die  in  exile,  just  as  easily  as  if  there  were  no 
representative  of  France  in  the  Empire,  and  no  French 
ships  of  war  on  her  coasts.  It  is  only  in  the  five  free 
ports  that  they  do  not  dare  to  torment  the  neophytes, 
thanks  to  the  energetic  and  constant  protection  of  our 
legation  at  Macao  and  our  consul  at  Chang-hai. 

Although  the  Imperial  edict  in  favor  of  the  Christians 
appeared  to  us  insufficient,  and  almost  delusive,  on  ac- 
count of  its  non-promulgation  in  the  interior  of  the  Em- 
pire, we  resolved  to  take  what  little  advantage  we  could 
of  i.t,  whether  for  ourselves  or  the  Christians,  should  any 
good  opportunity  present  itself. 

Two  days  after  our  appearance  before  the  tribunal 
of  the  first  commissioner,  the  Mantchou  prefect  of  the 
Garden  of  Flowers,  who  had  become  rather  friendly,  an- 


JOUENEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.  91 

nounced  to  us  that  our  affair  being  sufficiently  known, 
we  should  not  have  to  undergo  another  judicial  exam- 
ination; and  that  in  the  course  of  the  day  the  viceroy 
would  have  us  summoned,  in  order  to  signify  what  had 
been  determined  with  respect  to  us.  We  had  a  long 
and  lively  discussion  on  the  question  of  the  ceremonies 
that  we  should  have  to  observe  before  the  chief  of  the 
province  and  the  representative  of  the  Emperor.  They 
brought  a  crowd  of  arguments  to  convince  us  that  we 
ought  to  go  down  on  our  knees  before  him.  In  the 
iirst  place,  it  was  a  prodigious  honor  for  us  to  be  ad- 
mitted to  his  presence  at  all,  since  he  might  be  consid- 
ered as  a  sort  of  diminutive  of  the  Son  of  Heaven. 
Then,  to  remain  standing  straight  upright  before  him 
would  be  to  offer  him  an  insult ;  besides  giving  him  a 
very  bad  idea  of  our  education,  it  would  irritate  him, 
would  alter  the  good  disposition  he  had  toward  us, 
would  draw  down  his  anger  upon  us ;  and  moreover, 
they  added,  whether  we  liked  it  or  not  we  should  find 
ourselves  compelled  to  kneel.  It  would  be  impossible 
for  us  to  resist  the  influence  of  his  majestic  presence. 

We  ourselves  felt  pretty  sure  of  the  contrary,  and  we 
declared  to  the  prefect,  that  he  might  depend  upon  it 
that  would  not  happen.  Nevertheless,  we  would  cause 
no  scandal,  nor  give  the  viceroy  any  reason  to  think  us 
wanting  in  sentiments  of  respect  and  veneration  toward 
his  person  and  his  high  dignity.  We  begged  the  pre- 
fect of  the  Garden  of  Flowers,  therefore,  to  inform  the 
viceroy  that  we  positively  could  not  appear  before  him 
in  an  attitude  that  our  manners  did  not  require  even  in 
presence  of  our  own  sovereign,  but  that  we  had  no  in- 
tention of  failing  in  respect  toward  him,  and  that  we 
would  pay  him  every  honor  conformably  to  the  rites  of 
the  West ;  but  that  we  would  rather  submit  to  the  irre- 
mediable xmsfortune  of  being  deprived  of  his  presence 


92  JOUKNEY   THROUGH   THE   CHINESE    E.MI'IUK. 

than  yield  this  point.  It  may  readily  be  supposed  that 
in  fact  we  cared  little  enough  about  this  matter  of  going 
down  on  our  knees,  since  in  China  it  is  really  nothing 
more  than  a  mark  of  respect  and  civility ;  but  we  de- 
termined to  keep  an  upright  position,  because,  if  we  had 
once  consented  to  bend  the  knee,  we  should  have  been 
obliged  ever  after  to  prostrate  ourselves  before  every 
trumpery  little  official  that  we  happened  to  meet,  and 
that  would  have  been  a  source  of  exceeding  annoyance ; 
while  we  thought  with  reason  that  every  one  would 
consider  himself  obliged  to  treat  with  politeness  and 
consideration  the  men  who  had  not  been  obliged  to 
kneel,  even  in  the  first  tribunal  of  the  province.  Our 
obstinacy  was  completely  successful,  and  it  was  agreed 
that  we  should  be  presented  in  the  European  fashion. 

Toward  noon  two  handsome  state  palanquins  were 
sent  to  fetch  us,  and  we  betook  ourselves,  attended  by 
a  brilliant  escort,  to  the  palace  of  the  most  illustrious 
Pao-hing,  viceroy  of  the  province  of  Sse-tchouen.  The 
tribunal  of  this  high  dignitary  of  the  Chinese  Empire 
had  nothing  to  distinguish  it  from  those  that  we  had 
seen  before,  except  its  superior  size  and  somewhat  bet- 
ter preservation.  It  was  in  the  same  style  of  archi- 
tecture, and  had  precisely  the  same  combination  of 
courts  and  gardens.  All  the  Mandarins,  civil  and  mil- 
itary, without  exception,  had  been  convoked;  and  by 
degrees  as  they  arrived  they  took  their  places  according 
to  their  respective  ranks  and  dignities,  in  a  vast  hall  on 
long  divans,  where  we  were  already  placed,  in  company 
with  the  two  prefects  of  the  town,  who  were  to  present 
us.  In  a  neighboring  apartment  an  orchestra  of  Chi- 
nese musicians  was  executing  some  soft  but  very  whim- 
sical symphonies,  that  were  by  no  means  unpleasing. 
Very  soon  it  was  announced  that  the  viceroy  was  in  his 
cabinet.  A  great  door  opened,  all  the  Mandarins  rose, 


JOUKXEY   THROUGH   THE   CHINESE   EMPIRE.  93 

fell  into  order,  and  denied  in  the  most  profound  silence 
as  far  as  an  antechamber,  where  they  ranged  themselves 
according  to  rank.  • 

Our  two  introducers  now  desired  us  to  pass  through 
the  files  of  Mandarins,  and  conducted  us  to  the  door 
of  a  cabinet,  which  was  open,  but  they  stopped  on  the 
threshold  and  made  a  sign  for  us  to  enter.  At  the 
same  time  the  viceroy,  who  was  seated  cross-legged  on 
a  divan,  beckoned  us  toward  him  in  a  very  gracious 
manner.  We  bowed  low  and  advanced  some  steps. 
.We  were  alone  in  the  apartment  with  him;  for  all  the 
Mandarins,  civil  and  military,  were  mounting  guard  in 
the  antechamber;  but  they  were  near  enough  to  hear 
what  was  spoken. 

We  were  at  first  greatly  struck  by  the  simplicity  of 
the  apartment,  and  of  the  high  personage  who  inhabited 
it.  It  was  a  narrow  room  papered  with  blue,  and  its 
only  furniture  consisted  of  a  small  divan  with  red  cush- 
ions, a  flower-stand,  and  some  vases  of  flowers.  The 
illustrious  Pao-hing  was  an  old  man  of  seventy  or  there- 
abouts, tall  and  thin,  but  with  a  countenance  full  of 
sweetness  and  benevolence.  His  small  but  still  brill- 
iant eyes  were  keen  and  penetrating;  his  beard  long 
and  somewhat  scanty,  and  his  complexion  very  fair, 
with  a  slight  yellow  tinge.  Altogether  his  appearance 
was  not  wanting  in  majesty,  and  the  simple  blue  silk 
robe  he  wore  contrasted  favorably  with  the  richly  em- 
broidered habits  of  the  Mandarins  in  attendance  upon 
him.  Pao-hing  was  a  Mantchou  Tartar,  and  a  cousin 
and  intimate  friend  of  the  Emperor.  In  their  infancy 
they  had  lived  together,  and  had  never  ceased  to  feel 
toward  each  other  a  lively  and  cordial  affection.  The 
viceroy  asked  us,  at  first,  whether  we  were  suitably 
lodged  in  the  mansion  he  had  assigned  to  us.  "  We 
have  been  making  inquiries,"  he  added,  "of  the  soldiers 


yt  JOURNEY   THROUGH   THE   CHINESE   EMPIRE. 

of  your  escort ;  and  it  appears  that  the  military  officer 
who  accompanied  you  from  Ta-tsien-lou  did  not  lodge 
you  in  the  communal  palaces.  I  have  dismissed  that  vile 
man,  who  had  no  regard  for  the  dignity  of  the  Empire." 
It  was  in  vain  that  we  endeavored  to  plead  for  him. 

"And  why,  in  fact,"  said  the  viceroy,  crossing  his 
arms,  "did  they  prevent  you  from  residing  in  Thibet? 
Why  did  they  compel  you  to  return  ?" 

"Illustrious  personage,"  said  we,  "we  understand 
nothing  of  the  matter,  and  should  be  very  glad  to  know. 
When  we  return  to  France,  and  our  sovereign  asks  us 
why  we  were  expelled  from  Thibet,  what  must  we  an- 
swer him  ?" 

Here  Pao-hing  burst  out  into  a  vehement  attack  upon 
Ki-Chan ;  he  spoke  of  the  difficulties  that  he  was  always 
throwing  in  the  path  of  the  government,  and  ended  by 
calling  him  to-che  ;  an  expression  that  can  only  be  trans- 
lated by  "  creator  of  embarrassments." 

Pao-hing  afterward  requested  us  to  come  quite  close 
to  him ;  and  then  he  set  himself  to  take  a  deliberate 
survey  of  our  personal  appearance,  first  of  one  and  then 
of  the  other,  while  he  at  the  same  time  amused  himself 
by  turning  in  his  mouth  fragments  of  the  Areca  nut, 
which  the  Mantchous  like  so  much  to  chew.  He  took 
several  pinches  of  snuff  also,  out  of  a  little  phial,  and 
had  the  courtesy  to  offer  it  to  us,  though  without  speak- 
ing, and  still  seeming  as  profoundly  occupied  with  ob- 
serving our  features  as  if  he  were  about  to  take  our  por- 
traits. We  considered  that  he  admired  our  beauty,  for 
he  asked  whether  we  had  any  medicine  or  recipe  for  pre- 
serving that  fresh  and  florid  complexion.  We  replied 
that  the  temperament  of  Europeans  differed  much  from 
that  of  the  Chinese ;  but  that  in  all  countries  a  sober 
and  well  regulated  course  of  life  was  the  best  means  of 
preserving  health. 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.  95 

"Do  you  hear?"  he  added,  turning  to  the  numerous 
Mandarins  in  waiting,  and  repeating  emphatically,  "in 
all  countries  a  sober  and  well  regulated  life  is  the 
best  means  of  preserving  health."  All  the  balls,  red, 
blue,  white,  and  yellow,  bowed  profoundly  in  token  of 
assent. 

After  having  taken  another  long  pinch,  Pao-hing  ask- 
ed us  what  our  plans  were,  and  where  we  wished  to  go 
to.  This  seemed  rather  a  curious  question,  and  we  an- 
swered, "  Where  we  wish  to  go  to  is  to  Thibet  and 
Lha-ssa. 

"Thibet  and  Lha-ssa!  Why  you  have  just  come 
from  there." 

"  No  matter !     We  wish  to  go  back  to  them." 
"  What  do  you  want  to  do  at  Thibet  and  Lha-ssa  ?" 
"  You  know  that  our  only  business  any  where  is  to 
preach  our  religion." 

"Yes,  I  know ;  but  you  must  not  think  of  Lha-ssa,  you 
would  do  much  better  to  preach  your  religion  in  m  your 
own  country.  Thibet  is  a  good-for-nothing  place.  I 
would  not  have  sent  you  away  from  it,  since  you  wished 
to  stay ;  but  now  that  you  are  here,  I  must  send  you  to 
Canton." 

"  Since  we  are  not  free,  send  us  where  you  please." 
The  viceroy  then  said,  that  since  we  were  now  in  his 
province,  he  would  be  answerable  for  our  safety ;  but 
that  it  was  his  duty  to  forward  us  to  the  representative 
of  our  nation.  '*  You  may,"  he  added,  "remain  for  a 
time  at  Tching-tou-fou,  to  rest  yourselves  and  make 
the  necessary  preparations  for  your  journey ;  and  I  shall 
see  you  again  before  your  departure.  In  the  mean  time 
I  will  give  such  orders  as  will  enable  you  to  travel  as 
conveniently  as  possible."  We  bowed  respectfully  and 
thanked  him  for  his  kind  intentions  with  respect  to  our 
accommodation.  Just  as  we  were  taking  our  leave,  he 


.loru.NKV  TiuairGii  THK  CIIINKSI: 


called  us  back  to  ask  about  our  yellow  caps  and  red 
girdles.  "Your  costume,"  said  he,  "is  not  that  of 
the  Central  Nation,  and  you  must  not  travel  in  that 
fashion." 

"Behold!"  said  we,  "you  have  the  right  not  only  to 
hinder  us  from  going  where  we  will,  but  even  to  prevent 
our  dressing  ourselves  according  to  our  own  fancy  !  " 

Pao-hing  began  to  laugh  at  this,  and  said,  as  he 
waved  his  hand  in  farewell,  that  since  we  were  so  fond 
of  that  costume,  we  might  keep  it.  The  viceroy  then 
returned  to  his  private  apartments  to  the  sound  of  mu- 
sic; and  the  Mandarins  accompanied  us  to  the  gates  of 
the  palace,  congratulating  us  on  the  benevolent  and  cor- 
dial reception  we  had  met  with  from  the  most  illustri- 
ous representative  of  the  Son  of  Heaven,  in  the  prov- 
ince of  Sse-tchouen. 

We  have  already  mentioned  the  report  that  Pao-hing 
addressed  to  the  Emperor  concerning  us,  and  we  will 
give  here  the  sequel  of  it,  which  is  a  reply  to  the  Im- 
perial dispatch  already  cited: 

"I,  your  subject,"  says  the  viceroy  of  Sse-tchouen, 
"have  carefully  inquired  into  the  purpose  which  the 
said  foreigners  have  in  undertaking  such  long  journeys 
to  preach  their  religion,  and  whence  they  derive  the 
resources  necessary  for  their  daily  maintenance,  why 
they  remain  so  long  without  returning  to  their  country, 
whether  any  definite  period  is  assigned  to  their  stay, 
what  number  of  proselytes  they  have  made,  what  spe- 
cial object  they  had  in  wishing  to  go  to  Si-tsang  (Thi- 
bet), which  is  the  residence  of  the  Lamas. 

"  The  result  of  these  inquiries  is,  that  they  are  trav- 
eling about  only  to  preach  their  religion,  and  that  their 
mission  is  to  be  of  uncertain  duration.  When,  while 
on  a  journey,  they  think  they  shall  want  the  means  of 
supplying  their  necessary  expenses,  they  write  to  the 


JOURNEY   THROUGH   THE   CHINESE   EMPIRE.  97 

agent  of  their  nation,  who  is  at  Macao,  and  he  imme- 
diately sends  them  money.  In  all  the  provinces  of 
China  there  are  men  of  the  same  country,  who  have  ex- 
patriated themselves  to  preach  their  religion,  and  there 
is  not  one  of  them  who  does  not  exhort  men  to  do 
good.  They  do  not  propose  to  themselves  any  other 
object.  They  neither  recollect  the  numbers  nor  the 
names  of  the  persons  to  whom  they  have  taught  their 
doctrine. 

"As  to  their  journey  to  Thibet,  they  wished,  after 
having  preached  their  religion  there,  to  return  from  it  to 
their  own  country  by  the  way  of  Nepaul ;  but  as  they 
were  not '  sufficiently  versed  in  the  language  of  Thibet, 
they  were  not  able  during  their  stay  there  to  make  any 
converts.  At  this  epoch  the  high  functionary  Ki-Chan, 
who  resides  in  the  capital  of  Thibet,  ordered  an  inquiry, 
in  consequence  of  which  they  were  arrested  and  sent 
under  escort  to  Sse-tchouen. 

"  I  have  opened  their  wooden  chest,  and  examined 
the  letters  and  papers  it  contained;  but  I  have  not  been 
able  to  find  any  one  who  could  read  those  characters 
and  understand  them. 

"  The  strangers  when  interrogated  on  the  subject,  re- 
plied that  they  were  family  letters,  and  authentic  certif- 
icates of  their  religious  mission. 

"I  wished  to  inquire  carefully  whether  the  declara- 
tion they  made  before  Ki-Chan,  was,  or  was  not,  the 
expression  of  the  truth;  but  I  have  not  been  able  to 
find  any  irrefragable  proof. 

"I  then  examined  their  beards  and  their  eyebrows, 
their  eyes  and  their  complexions ;  and  I  found  them  all 
different  from  those  of  the  men  of  the  Central  Kingdom ; 
so  that  it  seemed  to  me  demonstrated  that  they  were 
really  strangers,  coming  from  a  distant  country,  and  that 
they  are  not  to  be  mistaken  for  worthless  persons  from 
VOL,  L— E 


98  JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

the  Interior  Territory  (China).  Thereupon  there  does 
not  remain  in  my  mind  the  slightest  doubt. 

"If  it  should  be  considered  desirable  to  know  the 
contents  of  their  letters  and  foreign  books,  they  must,  I 
think,  be  sent  to  Canton,  in  order  that  a  man  versed  in 
those  foreign  languages  may  be  found,  who  shall  read 
them  and  make  known  their  contents. 

"  Should  no  further  discovery  be  made  concernin<»- 
them,  these  strangers  may  then  be  placed  in  the  hands 
of  the  consul  of  France,  in  order  that  he  may  recognize 
them,  and  send  them  back  to  their  own  country.  By 
that  means  the  truth  will  be  brought  to  light. 

"As  for  Samdadchiemba,  as  it  appears  from  his  ex- 
amination that  he  was  only  attached  to  these  strangers 
in  the  quality  of  a  servant  receiving  wages,  it  seems 
proper  to  send  him  back  to  his  native  country ;  namely, 
the  district  of  Nien-pe,  in  the  province  of  Kan-sou. 
There  he  will  be  delivered  to  the  local  magistrate,  who 
will  immediately  set  him  at  liberty. 

"If,  hereafter,  circumstances  should  arise  that  shall 
appear  to  relate  to  the  object  of  your  first  decree,  I  will, 
as  is  my  duty,  write  a  faithful  report  concerning  them, 
which  I  will  address  to  your  Majesty.  At  the  moment 
when  your  instructions  have  reached  me  the  weather 
is  excessively  hot,  and  the  clothing  and  provisions  for 
the  said  strangers  not  yet  ready.  I,  your  subject,  after 
having  written  and  sealed  this  exact  and  circumstantial 
report,  have  charged  a  public  functionary  to  take  the 
Imperial  road  and  conduct  them  to  their  destination,  by 
the  province  of  Hou-pe  and  other  places." 

This  report,  which  we  were  only  able  to  procure  a 
year  afterward,  when  we  were  at  Macao,  will  serve  to 
show  the  frank  and  upright  character  of  the  viceroy  of 
Sse-tchouen.  Not  one  single  word  is  found  in  it  to  in- 
dicate any  thing  of  the  inveterate  antipathy  which  the 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.  99 

Chinese  so  often  cherish  toward  strangers  and  Chris- 
tians, though  he  could  not  have  imagined  that  what  he 
had  written  was  ever  likely  to  fall  into  our  hands  ;  and 
in  pronouncing  this  eulogium  on  French  missionaries, 
he  only  yielded  honestly  to  the  impulse  of  genuine  con- 
viction. 


CHAPTER  III. 

Tching-tou-foti,  the  Capital  of  the  Province  of  Sse-tchouen — Numerous 
Visits  of  Mandarins — Constitutive  Principle  of  the  Chinese  Govern- 
ment— The  Emperor — Curious  Organization  of  Chinese  Nobility- 
Central  Administration  of  Pekin — The  six  Sovereign  Courts — Im- 
perial Academy — Moniteur  of  Pekin — Provincial  Gazettes — Admin- 
istration of  the  Provinces — Rapacity  of  the  Mandarins — Venality  <>!' 
Justice — Family  of  a  Magistrate — His  two  Sons — Their  Tutor — Pri- 
mary Instruction  very  widely  diffused  in  China — Chinese  Urbanity — 
System  of  Instruction — Elementary  Books — The  four  Classical  Books 
— The  five  Sacred  Books — Arrangements  for  our  Departure — Last 
Visit  to  the  Viceroy. 

TCHING-TOU-FOU,  the  capital  of  the  province  of  Sse- 
tchouen,  is  one  of  the  finest  towns  in  the  Empire.  It  is 
situated  in  the  middle  of  an  admirably  fertile  plain, 
watered  by  beautiful  streams,  and  bounded  toward  the 
horizon  by  hills  of  graceful  and  varied  forms. 

The  principal  streets  are  of  a  good  width,  paved  en- 
tirely with  large  flagstones,  and  so  clean  that  you  can 
scarcely,  as  you  pass  through  them,  believe  yourself  to 
be  in  a  Chinese  town. 

The  shops  with  their  long  and  brilliant  signs,  the  ex- 
quisite order  with,  which  the  merchandise  displayed  in 
them  is  arranged,  the  great  number  and  beauty  of  the 
tribunals,  pagodas,  and  of  what  we  must  call  literary 
institutions,  all  contribute  to  make  of  Tching-tou-fou 
a  town  in  some  measure  exceptional;  or  at  least  this  is 
the  impression  we  retained  concerning  it,  when  subse- 
quently we  had  visited  the  most  renowned  cities  of  the 
other  provinces. 

Our  host  the  magistrate  informed  us  that  the  present 
capital  of  Sse-tchouen  was  quite  a  modern  town,  the  old 


*. 

JOURNEY   THROUGH    THE   CHINESE  EMPIRE.  101 

one  having  been  reduced  to  ashes  by  a  terrible  confla- 
gration, and  he  related  to  us  on  this  occasion  an  anec- 
dote or  a  fable,  that  we  repeat  because  it  is  quite  in  the 
Chinese  taste.  Some  months  before  the  destruction  of 
the  old  city,  a  Bonze  was  one  day  seen  in  the  streets, 
ringing  a  small  bell,  and  crying  out  with  a  loud  voice : 
I-ko-jen,  leang-ho-yen-tsin,  that  is  to  say — "One  man, 
and  two  eyes!"  At  first  nobody  paid  much  attention  to 
him.  "  One  man,  and  two  eyes"  did  not  appear  a  very 
remarkable  phenomenon,  and  the  existence  of  such  a 
one  hardly  seemed  a  truth  that  deserved  to  be  pro- 
claimed with  such  solemnity  and  perseverance.  But  as 
the  Bonze  kept  continually  repeating  his  formula  from 
morning  till  night,  people  became  at  last  curious  to 
know  what  he  could  possibly  mean  by  it.  To  all  ques- 
tions, however,  he  would  make  no  other  answer  than 
his  everlasting  "One  man,  and  two  eyes." 

At  last  the  magistrates  took  up  the  matter,  but  they 
could  make  nothing  of  it.  Inquiries  were  made  where 
this  Bonze  came  from,  but  nobody  knew.  No  one  had 
ever  seen  him  before ;  he  was  never  known  to  eat  or 
drink,  and  all  day  long  he  traversed  the  streets  of  the 
city  with  a  grave  face  and  downcast  eyes,  ringing  his 
bell  and  incessantly  refreshing  the  memory  of  the  pub- 
lic concerning  "  One  man,  and  two  eyes."  In  the  even- 
ing he  disappeared,  but  no  one  knew  where  he  went  to, 
to  pass  the  night. 

This  went  on  for  twp  months,  and  people  ceased  to 
take  any  notice  of  him,  setting  him  down  for  a  very  ec- 
centric individual  or  a  madman.  But  one  day  it  was 
noticed  that  he  had  not  made  his  appearance ;  and  on 
'  that  day,  toward  noon,  fire  broke  out  at  once,  in  many 
parts  of  the  town,  with  such  violence  that  the  inhabit- 
ants had  only  just  time  to  snatch  what  they  considered 
most  valuable,  and  rush  out  into  the  fields.  Before  the 


* 
102  JOURNEY   THROUGH   THE   CHINESE    EMl'IKE. 

end  of  the  day,  the  town  was  a  heap  of  ashes  and 
smoking  ruins. 

Every  body  then  recollected  the  words  of  the  Bonze, 
which,  it  seems,  were  an  enigmatical  prediction  of  this 
frightful  catastrophe. 

It  would  Tbe  impossible  to  understand  the  riddle  with- 
out having  an  idea  of  the  form  of  the  Chinese  characters, 
in  which  the  key  to  it  is  found.  The  following  character 
signifies,  "man."  In  adding  to  it  two  points,  or  eyes, 


A 


you  obtain  another^XVwhich  signifies  "fire;"  so  that  in 
crying  out  "  One  man,  and  two  eyes,"  the  Bonze  meant 
to  announce  the  conflagration  that  reduced  the  capital  to 
ashes. 

The  man  who  told  us  this  story,  could  give  no  further 
explanation,  and  we  shall  take  good  care  ourselves  not 
to  attempt  any.  "  The  city  was  entirely  rebuilt,"  he 
added,  "  and  this  is  how  you  come  to  find  it  so  hand- 
some and  regular." 

The  inhabitants  of  Tching-tou-fou,  are  fully  worthy 
of  the  celebrity  of  their  city.  The  higher  classes,  who 
are  very  numerous,  are  remarkable  for  the  elegance  of 
their  manners  and  attire  ;  the  middle  also  rival  the 
higher  in  politeness  and  courtesy,  and  appear  also  to  be 
in  quite  easy  circumstances.  The  poor  are  indeed  very 
numerous,  as  they  are  in  all  the  great  centres  of  popu- 
lation in  China  ;  but  in  general  it  may  be  said  that  the 
inhabitants  of  this  town  enjoy  a  more  considerable  de- 
gree of  opulence  than  appears  in  any  other  place. 

The  very  benevolent  reception  we  had  met  with  from 
the  viceroy,  did  not  fail  to  procure  us  a  great  number  of 
friends,  and  place  us  in  relation  with  the  most  distin- 
guished persons  in  the  city,  as  well  as  with  the  great 
functionaries  civil  arid  military,  the  first  magistrates  of 
the  tribunals,  and  the  chiefs  of  the  learned  corporation. 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          103 

When  we  were  living  at  the  missions  in  the  midst  of 
our  Christian  communities,  we  were  obliged  by  our  po- 
sition to  keep  ourselves  at  a  very  respectful  distance 
from  the  Mandarins  and  their  dangerous  neighborhood. 
The  care  for  our  own  safety,  and  still  more  that  of  our 
neophytes,  made  this  caution  indispensable.  Like  other 
missionaries,  we  held  intercourse  with  scarcely  any  other 
class  than  that  of  peasants  and  artisans,  and  it  was,  there- 
fore, difficult  for  us  to  become  extensively  acquainted 
with  the  Chinese  as  a  nation.  We  were  familiar  with 
the  manners  and  habits  of  the  people,  their  means  of 
existence,  ar>d  the  ties  that  unite  them  to  each  other; 
but  we  had  no  very  exact  knowledge  of  the  superior 
classes,  or  of  the  aristocratic  element  that  gives  impulse, 
life,  and  movement  to  the  social  body.  We  perceived 
effects  without  knowing  the  causes. 

But  the  constant  communication  we  had  with  the 
Mandarins  and  the  cultivated  classes,  during  our  resi- 
dence at  Tching-tou-fou,  enabled  us  to  acquire  a  great 
amount  of  useful  information  on  these  points,  and  to 
study  more  closely  the  mechanism  and  organization,  or 
rather  what  constitutes  the  vitality  and  strength  of  a 
nation.  To  become  acquainted  with  man,  it  is  not  suf- 
ficient to  observe  his  movements,  and  dissect  his  limbs 
and  organs  ;  one  must  study  and  penetrate  into  his  soul, 
which  is  the  principle  of  life,  and  the  motive  cause  of  all 
his  actions. 

From  the  thirteenth  century,  when  the  first  notidns 
of  China  were  brought  into  Europe  by  the  celebrated 
Venetian,  Marco  Polo,  up  to  our  own  days,  all  parties 
seem  to  have  agreed  in  regarding  the  Chinese  as  a  very 
singular  people — a  people  unlike  all  others.  But  if  we 
except  this  one  opinion,  which  is  universally  received, 
we  scarcely  find  in  what  has  been  written  concerning 
the  Chinese,  any  thing  but  contradictions.  Some  are 


lol  .101  K.NKY    THROUGH   THE   CHJNKSK    KMI'IKK. 

in  perpetual  ecstasy  with  them ;  others  are  constantly 
heaping  upon  them  abuse  and  ridicule. 

Voltaire  has  drawn  for  us  an  enchanting  picture  of 
China,  its  patriarchal  manners,  its  paternal  government, 
its  institutions  based  on  filial  piety,  and  its  wise  admin- 
istration always  intrusted  to  the  most  learned  and  virtu- 
ous men.  Montesquieu,  on  the  contrary,  has  used  the 
darkest  colors,  and  painted  them  as  a  miserable  abject 
race,  crouching  under  a  brutal  despotism,  and  driven, 
like  a  vile  herd,  by  the  will  of  the  Emperor. 

These  two  portraits,  drawn  by  the  authors  of  UJSsprit 
des  f^ois,  and  JJEssai  sur  les  Mmurs,  have  very  little  re- 
semblance to  the  original.  There  is  gross  exaggeration 
on  both  sides,  and  the  truth  is  certainly  to  be  sought  for 
between  them. 

In  China,  as  every  where  else,  there  is  a  mixture  of 
what  is  good  and  bad,  of  vice  and  virtue,  that  may  give 
occasion  to  satire  or  panegyric  <is  the  attention  is  fixed 
on  one  or  the  other.  It  is  easy  to  find  among  a  people 
whatever  you  desire  to  see  in  them,  if  you  set  out  with 
a  preconceived  opinion  and  the  resolution  to  preserve  it 
intact.  Thus  Voltaire  was  dreaming  of  a  nation  whose 
annals  should  be  in  contradiction  with  Biblical  tradition, 
a  people  rationalistic,  anti-religious,  and  whose  days, 
nevertheless,  flowed  on  in  uninterrupted  peace  and  pros- 
perity. In  China  he  thought  he  had  found  this  model 
nation,  and  he  did  not  fail  to  recommend  it  to  the  admi- 
ration of  Europe. 

Montesquieu,  on  the  other  hand,  was  putting  forth  his 
theory  of  despotic  government,  and  wanted  some  example 
to  illustrate  it.  He  took  the  Chinese  for  this  purpose ; 
and  showed  them  trembling  under  the  iron  rod  of  a  ty- 
rant, and  crushed  beneath  a  pitiless  system  of  legislation. 

We  intend  to  enter  into  some  details  concerning  Chi 
nese  institutions  and  the  mechanism  of  this  government^ 


JOURNEY  THROUGH   THE   CHINESE  EMPIRE.          105 

which  assuredly  does  not  merit  either  the  invectives  that 
have  been  poured  out  on  its  despotism,  or  the  pompous 
eulogies  that  have  been  pronounced  on  its  antique  and 
patriarchal  wisdom.  In  developing  the  Chinese  govern- 
mental system,  we  shall  see  that  practice  is  often  in  con- 
tradiction to  theory;  and  that  the  fine  laws  found  in  the 
books,  are  not  quite  so  often  seen  in  application. 

The  idea  of  the  family  is  the  grand  principle  that 
serves  as  the  basis  of  society  in  China.  Filial  piety, 
the  constant  subject  of  dissertation  to  moralists  and 
philosophers,  and  continually  recommended  in  the  pro- 
clamations of  Emperors  and  the  speeches  of  Mandarins, 
has  become  the  fundamental  root  of  all  other  virtues. 

All  means  are  made  use  of  to  exalt  this  sentiment,  so 
as  to  make  of  it  an  absolute  passion ;  it  assumes  all 
forms,  mingles  in  all  actions,  and  serves  as  the  moral 
pivot  of  public  life.  Every  crime,  every  attempt  against 
the  authority,  property,  or  life  of  individuals,  is  treated 
as  filial  disobedience ;  while,  on  the  other  hand,  all  acts 
of  virtue,  devotion,  compassion  toward  the  unfortunate, 
commercial  probity,  or  even  valor  in  battle,  are  referred 
to  filial  piety ;  to  be  a  good  or  a  bad  citizen,  is  to  be  a 
good  or  bad  son. 

The  Emperor  is  the  personification  of  this  grand  prin- 
ciple, which  dominates  and  penetrates  more  or  less  deeply 
all  the  strata  of  society,  in  this  immense  agglomeration 
of  three  hundred  millions  of  individuals.  In  the  Chinese 
language  he  is  called  Jloang-te,  August  Sovereign,  or 
Iloang-chou,  August  Elevation ;  but  his  name  par  ex- 
cellence is  Tien-dse,  Son  of  Heaven. 

According  to  the  ideas  of  Confucius  and  his  disciples, 
the  great  movements  and  revolutions  of  the  Empire  are 
under  the  direct  guidance  of  Heaven ;  and  it  is  the  will 
of  Heaven  only  that  overthrows  some  dynasties  and 

E* 


106          JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

substitutes  others.  Heaven  is  the  true  and  only  mas- 
ter of  the  Empire,  it  chooses  whom  it  pleases  as  its 
representative,  and  communicates  to  him  its  absolute 
authority  over  the  people.  The  sovereignty  is  a  celes- 
tial mandate,  a  holy  mission  intrusted  to  an  individual 
for  the  sake  of  the  community,  and  withdrawn  from 
him  as  soon  as  he  shows  himself  forgetful  of  his  duty 
and  unworthy  of  his  high  office.  It  follows  from  this 
political  fatalism,  that  in  epochs  of  revolution  the  strug- 
gles are  terrible,  until  some  decided  success  and  evident 
superiority  have  become,  for  the  people,  a  sign  of  the 
will  of  Heaven.  Then  they  rally  at  once  round  the  new 
power,  and  submit  to  it  for  a  long  time  without  any 
hesitation. 

Heaven,  they  imagine,  had  a  representative,  an  adopted 
son ;  but  it  has  abandoned  him,  and  withdrawn  its  cre- 
dentials ;  it  has  chosen  another,  and  he  of  course  is  the 
one  to  be  obeyed.  This  is  the  whole  system.* 

The  Emperor  being  the  son  of  Heaven,  and  conse- 
quently, according  to  the  Chinese  expression,  Father 
and  Mother  of  the  Empire,  has  a  right  to  the  respect,  the 
veneration,  the  worship  even  of  his  children.  His  au- 
thority is  absolute ;  it  is  he  who  makes  and  who  abolishes 
the  laws,  who  grants  privileges  to  Mandarins  or  degrades 
them,  to  whom  alone  belongs  the  power  over  life  and 
death,  who  is  the  source  of  all  administrative  and  judi- 
cial authority,  who  has  at  his  disposal  the  whole  power 
and  revenues  of  the  Empire  ;  in  one  word,  the  state  is  the 
Emperor.  His  omnipotence,  indeed,  extends  even  far- 
ther, for  he  can  transmit  this  enormous  power  to  whom 
he  pleases,  and  choose  his  successor  among  his  children, 
without  any  law  of  inheritance  imposing  a  restraint  upon 
him  in  his  choice. 

*  It  is  in  consequence  of  this  theory,  that  the  present  pretender 
lias  taken  the  name  of  Ti<-n-tf,  that  is,  "  Celestial  Virtue." 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          101? 

The  sovereign  power  in  China  is,  then,  in  all  respects 
absolute ;  but  it  is  not,  as  has  been  supposed,  for  that 
reason  despotic.  It  is  a  strong  and  vast  system  of  cen- 
tralization. The  Emperor  is  the  head  of  an  immense 
family ;  and  the  absolute  authority  that  belongs  to  him 
is  not  absorbed,  but  delegated  to  his  ministers,  who  in 
their  turn  transmit  their  powers  to  the  inferior  officers 
of  their  administrative  governments.  The  subdivisions 
of  authority  thus  extend  gradually  downward  to  groups 
of  families,  of  which  the  fathers  are  the  natural  chiefs, 
and  just  as  absolute  within  their  sphere  as  any  other. 
It  may  well  be  supposed  that  this  absolute  power,  being 
thus  infinitely  divisible,  is  no  longer  equally  dangerous; 
and  besides,  public  opinion  is  always  ready  to  check 
any  excesses  on  the  part  of  the  Emperor,  who  would  not, 
without  exciting  general  indignation,  dare  to  violate  the 
rights  of  any  of  his  subjects.  He  has  also  his  private 
and  general  councils,  the  members  of  which  have  the 
right  of  expressing  their  opinions,  and  even  remonstra- 
ting with  him  on  matters  both  of  public  and  private  con- 
cern. One  may  read  in  the  annals  of  China,  how  the 
censors  have  often  acquitted  themselves  of  their  duty, 
with  a  freedom  and  vigor  worthy  of  all  praise.  Finally, 
these  potentates,  the  objects  of  so  much  homage  during 
their  lives,  are  often  after  death,  like  the  ancient  kings  of 
Egypt,  subjected  to  a  trial,  the  verdict  from  which  is 
attached  to  their  name  and  descends  to  posterity.  By 
these  posthumous  names  only  do  they  become  known  to 
history ;  and  as  they  are  always  either  eulogistic  or  satir- 
ical, they  serve  to  give  a  brief  estimate  of  the  character 
of  their  reign. 

The  greatest  counterpoise  of  the  Imperial  power  con- 
sists of  the  literary  aristocracy,  or  corporation  of  men  of 
letters ;  an  ancient  institution,  which  has  been  estab- 
lished on  a  solid  basis,  and  the  origin  of  which  is  at 


;us  .lolKXKY   THROUGH   THE   CHINKS!-:   KMI'IRK. 

least  as  early  as  the  eleventh  century  before  our  era. 
It  may  be  said  that  the  administration  receives  all  it.i 
real  and  direct  intluence  from  this  sort  of  literary  oli- 
garchy. 

The  Emperor  can  only  choose  his  civil  agents  among 
the  lettered  class,  and  in  conformity  with  established  ar- 
rangements. Every  Chinese  may  present  himself  for 
the  examination  for  the  third  literary  degree ;  and  those 
who  obtain  this,  may  then  become  candidates  for  the 
second,  which  opens  the  way  to  official  employment. 
To  fill  the  higher  offices  the  prize  must  be  obtained  in 
the  competition  for  the  first  degree. 

It  seems,  doubtless,  a  magnificent  thing  to  organize 
the  government  of  a  great  Empire  by  literary  qualifica- 
tion ;  but  though  it  may  be  a  subject  of  admiration,  it 
is  not  to  be  regarded  as  a  model  for  imitation  in  all 
countries. 

The  Emperor  is  recognized  by  the  laws  as  the  sole 
proprietor  of  the  soil  of  the  Empire  ;  but  this  is  a  mere 
theory,  and  it  does  not  hinder  the  property  in  land  from 
being  really  as  firmly  established  as  it  is  in  Europe. 
The  government,  in  fact,  only  possesses  the  right  over 
it  in  case  of  non-payment  of  the  tax,  or  of  confiscation 
for  state  crimes. 

The  villages  are  collectively  responsible  to  the  Ex- 
chequer for  the  discharge  of  all  fiscal  impositions,  and 
they  have  at  their  head  a  mayor  called  JSian-yo,  who  is 
chosen  by  universal  suffrage. 

The  communal  organization  is  perhaps  nowhere  else 
as  perfect  as  in  China ;  and  these  mayors  are  chosen  by 
the  people,  without  the  Mandarins  presenting  any  can- 
didates or  seeking  in  any  way  to  influence  the  votes. 

Every  man  is  both  elector  and  eligible  for  this  office ; 
but  it  is  usual  to  choose  one  of  advanced  age,  who  both 
by  his  character  and  fortune  occupies  a  high  position  in 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          109 

the  village.  We  have  known  many  of  the  Chinese 
mayors,  and  we  can  affirm  that  in  general  they  are  wor- 
thy of  the  suffrages  with  which  they  have  been  honored 
by  their  fellow-citizens.  The  time  for  which  they  are 
elected  varies  in  the  different  localities  ;  they  are  charged 
with  the  police  duties,  and  serve  also  as  mediators  be- 
tween the  Mandarins  and  the  people  in  matters  beyond 
their  own  competence.  "We  shall  have  occasion  to  re- 
turn to  this  salutary  institution  which  agrees  very  ill 
with  the  ideas  we  commonly  entertain  of  the  heavy  des- 
potism which  is  supposed  to  weigh  on  the  Chinese  nation. 

The  corporation  of  lettered  men,  recruited  every  year 
by  the  method  of  examination,  constitutes  a  privileged 
class,  almost  the  only  nobility  recognized  in  China,  and 
it  may  be  considered  as  the  chief  strength  and  nerve  of 
the  Empire.  Hereditary  titles  only  exist  for  the  Impe- 
rial family,  and  for  the  descendants  of  Confucius,  who 
are  still  very  numerous  in  the  province  of  Chang-tong, 

To  the  hereditary  titles  which  the  relations  of  the 
Emperor  enjoy,  there  are  attached  certain  prerogatives, 
as  well  as  a  very  modest  allowance,  the  right  of  wearing 
a  red  or  yellow  girdle,  of  putting  a  plume  of  peacock's 
feathers  in  their  caps,  and  of  having  six,  eight,  or  twelve 
bearers  to  their  palanquins.  They  can  not,  more  than 
any  other  citizen,  pretend  to  any  public  office,  without 
having  previously  taken  their  literary  degree  at  Pekin 
and  Moukden,  the  capital  of  Mantchuria.  We  have  often 
seen  these  Tartar  nobles  living  in  idleness  and  penury 
on  their  small  pensions,  and  having  no  other  proof  to 
show  of  their  illustrious  origin  than  the  red  or  yellow 
girdle.  A  private  tribunal,  however,  is  charged  \Q  gov- 
ern them  and  superintend  their  conduct. 

The  first  civil  and  military  Mandarins  who  have  dis- 
tinguished, themselves  in  the  administration  or  in  war, 
receive  the  titles  of  koung,  heon,  phy,  tze,  and  nan  / 


110          JOURNEY   THROUGH   THE   CHINESE   EMPIRE. 

which  may  be  considered  as  corresponding  with  those 
of  duke,  marquis,  count,  baron,  and  knight.  These 
titles  or  grades  are,  however,  not  hereditary,  and  give 
no  right  to  the  sons  of  the  individual  rewarded  by  them, 
but,  what  appears  to  us  very  curious,  they  may  be  car- 
ried back  to  his  ancestors.  This  custom  was  introduced 
with  reference  to  the  funeral  ceremonies  and  the  titles 
that  the  Chinese  bestOAV  on  their  defunct  relatives.  An 
officer  who  has  been  raised  in  rank  by  the  Emperor,  can 
not  accomplish  the  funeral  rites  of  his  family  in  a  suit- 
able manner,  if  his  ancestors  have  not  been  decorated 
with  a  corresponding  title.  To  suppose  that  the  son  is 
of  higher  rank  than  the  father,  would  be  to  overthrow 
the  hierarchy,  and  attack  the  fundamental  principle  of 
the  Empire.  A  nobility,  not  merely  confined  to  the  in- 
dividual, but  even  retrograding  to  the  ancestors,  instead 
of  being  transmitted  to  the  descendants,  does  appear  ex- 
cessively whimsical  to  us,  and  one  must  be  a  Chinese  to 
have  thought  of  such  a  thing.  Nevertheless,  it  would 
be  interesting  to  inquire  whether,  in  reality,  it  may  not 
be  the  better  plan  of  the  two. 

All  the  officers,  civil  and  military,  of  the  Chinese 
Empire  are  divided  into  nine  orders,  khiou-ping,  distin- 
guished one  from  the  other  by  certain  buttons,  or  rather 
balls,  of  the  size  of  a  pigeon's  egg,  which  are  worn  above 
the  official  cap.  This  distinctive  ball  is  of  plain  red 
coral  for  the  first  order,  of  carved  coral  for  the  second, 
of  a  transparent  deep  blue  stone  for  the  third,  of  pale 
blue  for  the  fourth,  crystal  for  the  fifth,  of  some  opaque 
white  stone  for  the  sixth,  and  for  the  seventh,  eighth, 
and  ninth  of  gilt  and  wrought  copper. 

Every  order  is  subdivided  into  two  classes ;  the  one 
active  and  official,  the  other  supernumerary ;  but  this 
makes  no  difference  in  the  balls.  All  the  official  person- 
ages comprised  in  these  nine  orders,  are  designated  by 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.  Ill 

the  generic  term  of  kouang-fou.  The  name  of  Mandarin 
is  unknown  to  the  Chinese  ;  it  was  invented  by  the  first 
Europeans  who  visited  the  country,  and  is  probably  de- 
rived from  the  Portuguese  word  "mandar"  to  command, 
out  of  which  they  made  Mandarin. 

The  administration  of  the  Celestial- Empire  is  divided 
into  three  parts  ;  the  superior  administration  of  the  Em- 
pire, the  local  administration  of  Pekin,  and  that  of  the 
provinces  and  colonies. 

The  entire  government  is  under  the  direction  of  two 
councils,  attached  to  the  person  of  the  Emperor;  the 
Nei-ko,  and  the  Kiun-ke-tchou.  The  first  is  charged 
with  the  preparation  of  plans,  and  the  dispatch  of  cur- 
rent business.  Its  duty  is,  according  to  the  official 
book,  "  to  put  in  order,  and  to  make  manifest  the 
thoughts  and  designs  of  the  Imperial  will,  and  to  reg- 
ulate the  form  of  administrative  decrees."  It  may  be 
regarded  in  some  measure  as  the  secretaryship  of  the 
Empire. 

The  second  council,  named  Kiun-ke-tchou,  deliberates 
with  the  Emperor  concerning  political  affairs;  it  is  com- 
posed of  members  of  the  Nei-ko,  and  of  the  presidents 
and  vice-presidents  of  the  superior  courts.  The  Emperor 
presides  at  its  sittings,  which  generally  take  place  very 
early  in  the  morning. 

Below  these  two  general  councils  are  the  six  sov- 
ereign courts  or  boards,  Leou-pou,  which  correspond 
with  our  ministries,  and  take  cognizance  of  all  the  civil 
and  military  affairs  of  the  eighteen  provinces  of  China. 
At  the  head  of  each  of  these  are  placed  two  presidents, 
the  one  Chinese,  the  other  Tartar;  and  four  vice-presi- 
dents, of  whom  two  are  Chinese,  and  two  Tartars. 
Every  board  has  special  offices  for  the  different  depart- 
ments of  business,  and  in  these  are  a  great  number  of 
divisions  and  subdivisions. 


112          JOURNEY  THROUGH   THE  CHINESE   EMI'JltE. 

First.  The  highest  sovereign  court,  called  court  of 
civil  employments,  Li-pou,  which  has  the  presentation 
to  civil  offices,  on  the  nomination  of  the  Emperor,  and 
the  distribution  of  civil  and  literary  employments  through- 
out the  Empire;  it  has  four  divisions,  which  regulate 
the  order  of  promotions  and  changes,  keep  notes  con- 
cerning the  conduct  of  official  persons,  determine  their 
salaries,  and  their  leaves  of  absence  in  times  of  mourn- 
ing, and  distribute  the  diplomas  of  posthumous  rank, 
granted  to  the  ancestors  of  officers  admitted  into  the 
ranks  of  the  nobility. 

Secondly.  The  'court  of  public  revenue,  Hou-pou, 
which  is  occupied  with  the  imposition  of  taxes  and 
tributes,  the  distribution  of  salaries  and  pensions,  the 
receipt  and  expenditure  of  corn  and  money,  and  their 
transport  by  land  and  water. 

It  is  also  the  business  of  this  court  to  divide  the  ter- 
ritory of  the  Empire  into  provinces,  departments,  circles, 
and  cantons.  It  takes  the  census  of  the  population, 
keeps  the  registry  of  lands,  and  assesses  the  taxes  and 
military  contingents.  This  financial  court  comprises 
fourteen  divisions,  which  correspond  pretty  well  with 
the  ancient  division  of  China  into  fourteen  interior  prov- 
inces ;  besides  this,  it  superintends  the  tribunal  of  civil 
appeal,  which  decides  disputes  concerning  property  and 
inheritance;  it  manages  the  coinage,  the  manufactories 
of  silk,  and  the  establishments  for  dyeing ;  and  it  looks 
to  the  provision  of  corn  for  the  capital. 

It  is  also  this  court  that  regulates  the  distributions 
of  corn  and  rice,  and  the  gratuitous  loans  by  which  the 
people  are  assisted  in  times  of  scarcity  and  famine. 
Finally,  it  is  honored  with  the  office  of  presenting  an- 
nually to  the  Emperor  the  list  of  young  Mantchou  girls 
who  are  ambitious  to  become  inmates  of  his  harem. 

It  is  one  of  the  officers  of  the  2Iou-j)ou  who  presides 


JOURNEY  THROUGH   THE   CHINESE   EMPIRE.  113 

every  year  at  the  celebrated  agricultural  festival,  in 
which  the  Emperor  is  seen  to  put  his  hand  to  the  plow 
in  a  field,  trace  the  furrow,  and  sow  it  with  corn. 

Thirdly.  The  sovereign  court  of  rites,  Ly-pou,  has 
the  business  of  regulating  ceremonies  and  public  solem- 
nities, the  minute  details  of  which  are  so  important  in 
the  eyes  of  the  Chinese.  It  has  four  divisions,  which 
are  occupied  with  the  ordinary  and  extraordinary  cere- 
monial of  the  court,  with  the  rites  of  sacrifices  in  honor 
of  the  souls  of  former  sovereigns  and  illustrious  men, 
with  the  regulation  of  public  festivals,  and  the  form  of 
the  robes  and  head-dresses  worn  by  the  officers  of  gov- 
ernment. This  court  superintends  schools,  public  acad- 
emies, and  literary  examinations,  and  determines  the 
number,  the  choice,  and  the  privileges  of  the  learned  of 
various  classes.  Foreign  diplomacy  also  lies  within  its 
jurisdiction ;  it  prescribes  the  forms  to  be  observed  in 
the  intercourse  with  tributary  princes  and  foreign  poten- 
tates, and  whatever  has  relation  to  the  embassies ;  and, 
finally,  it  has  the  general  direction  of  music,  which  in 
theory  may  perhaps  be  very  fine,  but  does  not  in  China 
exactly  strike  one  as  such  in  the  execution. 

Fourthly.  There  is  the  supreme  court  of  war,  Ping- 
2)ou,  which  has  also  four  subdivisions,  and  regulates  the 
appointment  and  promotions  of  military  officers,  registers 
the  notes  furnished  concerning  their  conduct,  and  attends 
to  the  commissariat  department,  and  the  punishments 
and  military  examinations  for  the  whole  army.  One  of 
these  subdivisions  has  the  special  charge  of  the  cavalry, 
the  camels,  the  relays  of  horses,  and  the  transport  of 
provisions  and  ammunition  of  all  kinds. 

Fifthly.  The  court  of  chastisements  or  criminal  juris- 
diction, Iling-pou,  has  eighteen  subdivisions,  correspond- 
ing with  the  eighteen  provinces  of  the  Empire,  -attending 
to  the  criminal  business  of  each  province ;  a  corps  of 


114          JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPJliK. 

prison  inspectors ;  legislative  chambers,  which  receive 
the  articles  of  the  penal  code  on  their  promulgation ;  and 
a  board  of  fines  and  penalties. 

Sixthly.  The  court  or  board  of  public  works,  Koung- 
pou,  has  the  direction  of  all  the  works  executed  at  the 
expense  of  the  state,  such  as  the  construction  of  public 
buildings,  the  fabrication  of  utensils  and  clothing  in- 
tended for  the  troops  and  for  public  officers,  the  digging 
of  canals,  the  formation  of  dikes,  the  erection  of  funereal 
monuments  for  the  Imperial  family  and  illustrious  per- 
sons. It  also  regulates  weights  and  measures,  and 
directs  the  manufacture  of  gunpowder:  this  supreme 
court  has  four  divisions. 

The  superior  administration  at  Pekin  comprises  also 
the  colonial  office,  Ly-fan-yuen^  which  has  the  super- 
intendence of  "strangers  from  without;"  a  designation 
applied  to  the  Mongol  princes,  the  Lamas  of  Thibet, 
and  the  Mohammedan  princes  and  chiefs  of  the  districts 
near  Persia.  The  Ly-fan-yuen,  which  governs  the 
Mongol  tribes,  regulates,  as  well  as  it  can,  the  rather 
entangled  affairs  of  the  nomadic  hordes ;  and  interferes, 
in  an  indirect  manner,  in  the  government  of  Thibet  and 
the  small  Mohammedan  states  of  Turkestan. 

The  Tou-tcha-yuen,  or  office  of  universal  censorship, 
is  placed  above  the  sphere  of  action  of  all  these  admin- 
istrative wheels,  and  overlooks  their  movements.  Its 
office  is  to  criticise  the  manners  and  morals  of  the  peo- 
ple, and  the  conduct  of  the  employes.  The  ministers, 
princes,  even  the  Emperor  himself,  must,  whether  he 
likes  it  or  not,  submit  to  the  remonstrances  of  this 
censor. 

Finally.  There  is  the  Toun-tchin-sse,  or  palace  of 
representation,  which  transmits  to  the  privy-council  of 
the  Emperor  the  reports  sent  from  the  provinces  and 
the  appeals  against  sentences  pronounced  by  magistrates. 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.  115 

This  palace  of  representation,  in  which  are  united  the 
members  of  the  six  supreme  courts  and  the  office  of 
universal  censorship,  forms  a  kind  of  court  of  cassa- 
tion to  decide  on  appeals  in  criminal  cases,  and  on  sen- 
tences of  death.  The  decisions  of  these  three  courts 
united  are  required  to  be  unanimously  given.  In  the 
contrary  case,  it  is  the  Emperor  himself  who  must  be 
the  judge  in  the  last  resort. 

The  famous  Imperial  academy  of  Han-Lin  is  com- 
posed of  literary  graduates  ;  it  furnishes  orators  for  the 
public  festivals,  and  literary  examiners  for  the  provinces, 
and  is  supposed  generally  to  promote  the  cause  of  learn- 
ing and  science.  It  contains  within  itself  a  board  for 
the  editing  of  official  documents,  and  another  for  the 
revision  of  the  Tartar  and  Chinese  works  published  at 
the  expense  of  government.  Its  two  presidents  inhabit 
the  Emperor's  palace,  and  they  overlook  the  studies  and 
labors  of  the  academicians.  The  college  of  historiogra- 
phers, and  the  whole  body  of  annalists,  depend  on  the 
academy  of  Han-lin.  The  first  are  occupied  with  draw- 
ing up  the  history  of  this  or  that  remarkable  reign  or 
epoch.  The  annalists,  to  the  number  of  twenty-two, 
write  day  by  day  the  annals  of  the  reigning  dynasty; 
which  are  only  published  when  another  has  succeeded 
it.  They  are  on  duty  by  turns,  four  at  a  time,  and  re- 
main near  the  person  of  the  Emperor,  to  take  notes  of 
his  actions,  and  even  his  words. 

The  official  gazette  of  Pekin  may  also  be  counted 
among  the  organs  of  the  administration.  It  is  a  real 
j^foniteur  Universel,  in  which  nothing  can  be  printed 
which  has  not  been  presented  to  the  Emperor,  or  which 
does  not  proceed  from  the  Emperor  himself;  the  editors 
of  it  would  not  dare  to  change  or  add  any  thing,  but 
under  penalty  of  the  severest  punishment.  This  Pekin 
gazette  is  printed  every  day,  in  the  form  of  a  pamphlet, 


116          JOUKXEY   THROUGH   THE   CHINESE   KMIMKI.. 

and  contains  sixty  or  seventy  pages.  The  subscription 
to  it  does  not  amount  to  more  than  twelve  i'rancs  a  year; 
and  it  is  a  most  interesting  collection,  and  very  useful 
in  making  one  acquainted  with  the  Chinese  Empire. 

It  gives  a  sketch  of  public  affairs  and  remarkable 
events ;  the  memorials  and  petitions  presented  to  the 
Emperor,  and  his  answers  to  them  ;  his  instructions  to 
the  Mandarins  and  the  people  ;  the  judicial  proceedings, 
with  the  principal  condemnations  and  the  pardons  grant- 
ed by  the  Emperor ;  and  also  a  summary  of  the  deliber- 
ations of  the  sovereign  courts.  The  principal  articles, 
and  all  the  public  documents,  are  reprinted  in  the  official 
gazettes  of  the  provinces. 

Papers  thus  edited  certainly  serve  to  keep  the  Man- 
darins and  the  people  acquainted  with  public  affairs ; 
but  they  are  little  calculated  to  excite  or  encourage 
political  passions.  In  ordinary  times,  and  when  they 
are  not  under  the  influence  of  any  revolutionary  move- 
ment, the  Chinese  are  not  at  all  inclined  to  meddle  with 
affairs  of  government ;  they  are  a  delightfully  quiet  peo- 
ple to  deal  with.  In  1851,  at  the  period  of  the  death 
of  the  Emperor  Tao-kouang,  we  were  traveling  on  the 
road  from  Pekin,  and  one  day,  when  we  had  been  taking 
tea  at  an  inn  in  company  with  -some  Chinese  citizens, 
we  tried  to  get  up  a  little  political  discussion. 

We  spoke  of  the  recent  death  of  the  Emperor,  an 
important  event  which,  of  course,  must  have  interested 
every  body.  We  expressed  our  anxiety  on  the  subject 
of  the  succession  to  the  Imperial  throne,  the  heir  to 
which  was  not  yet  publicly  declared.  "  Who  knows," 
said  we,  "  which  of  the  three  sons  of  the  Emperor  will 
have  been  appointed  to  succeed  him  ?  If  it  should  be 
the  eldest,  will  he  pursue  the  same  system  of  govern- 
ment ?  If  the  younger,  he  is  still  very  young ;  and  it 
is  said  there  are  contrary  influences,  two  opposing  par- 


JOURNEY  THROUGH   THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          117 

ties  at  court — to  which  will  he  lean  ?"  We  put  forward, 
in  short,  all  kinds  of  hypotheses,  in  order  to  stimulate 
these  good  citizens  to  make  some  observation.  But  they 
hardly  listened  to  us.  We  came  Iback  again  and  again 
to  the  charge,  in  order  to  elicit  some  opinion  or  other, 
on  questions  that  really  appeared  to  us  of  great  import- 
ance. But  to  all  our  piquant  suggestions,  they  replied 
only  by  shaking  their  heads,  puffing  out  whiffs  of  smoke, 
and  taking  great  gulps  of  tea. 

This  apathy  was  really  beginning  to  provoke  us,  when 
one  of  these  worthy  Chinese,  getting  up  from  his  seat, 
came  and  laid  his  two  hands  on  our  shoulders  in  a  man- 
ner quite  paternal,  and  said,  smiling  rather  ironically, 

"  Listen  to  me,  my  friend !  Why  should  you  trouble 
your  heart  and  fatigue  your  head  by  all  these  vain 
surmises  ?  The  Mandarins  have  to  attend  to  affairs  of 
state  ;  they  are  paid  for  it.  Let  them  earn  their  money, 
then.  But  don't  let  us  torment  ourselves  about  what 
does  not  concern  us.  We  should  be  great  fools  to  want 
to  do  political  business  for  nothing." 

"  That  is  very  conformable  to  reason,"  cried  the  rest 
of  the  company  ;  and  thereupon  they  pointed  out  to  us 
that  our  tea  was  getting  cold  and  our  pipes  were  out. 

The  local  administration  of  Pekin  comprehends  several 
special  institutions,  the  functions  of  which  have  relation 
to  the  Imperial  Court,  or  the  district  in  which  it  resides, 
to  the  direction  of  the  sacrifices,  the  Imperial  stud,  and 
the  ceremonial  of  the  Imperial  audience-chamber. 

The  government  of  the  palace  is  under  the  direction 
of  a  special  council,  which  comprises  seven  divisions, 
charged  with  the  provisioning  and  repairs  of  the  palace, 
the  salaries  and  punishments  for  offenses  committed  in 
it,  the  receipt  of  the  revenues  of  the  farms,  and  the  su- 
perintendence of  the  flocks  and  herds  of  the  private  do- 
main. 


118          JOURNEY   THROUGH   THE   rillXESE    EMPIRE. 

Three  great  scientific  establishments  are  attached  to 
the  court :  the  National  College,  where  the  sons  of  the 
great  dignitaries  are  educated  ;  the  Imperial  College  of 
Astronomy,  charged  with  the  astronomical  and  astro- 
logical observations,  and  the  preparation  of  the  annual 
almanac ;  and  the  College  of  Medicine.  Eight  hun- 
dred guards  are  attached  to  the  person  of  the  Emperor, 
and  the  military  service  of  the  capital  is  confided  to  the 
generals  of  the  "Eight  Banners,"  a  corps  composed  of 
Mantchou,  Mongol,  and  Chinese  soldiers,  the  direct  de- 
scendants of  the  army  that  conquered  China  in  1643-4. 
The  numerous  body  of  eunuchs  employed  in  the  palace, 
and  who,  under  the  preceding  dynasty  played  so  active 
a  part  in  the  revolutions  of  which  the  Chinese  Empire 
has  so  often  been  the  theatre,  is  at  present  reduced  to 
total  inactivity. 

Under  the  minority  of  Khany-hi,  the  second  Emperor 
of  the  Mantchou  dynasty,  the  four  regents  on  whom  the 
government  devolved,  destroyed  the  authority  of  the 
eunuchs. 

Their  first  act  was  to  pass  an  express  law  (which  they 
had  engraved  on  plates  of  iron  of  a  thousand  pounds 
weight),  prohibiting  all  Mantchou  princes  for  the  future 
from  elevating  eunuchs  to  any  sort  of  office  or  dignity. 
This  law  has  been  faithfully  observed,  and  it  is  perhaps 
one  of  the  principal  causes  to  which  we  may  attribute 
the  peace  and  tranquillity  which  China  has  enjoyed  for 
so  long  a  time. 

The  provincial  administration  is  constituted  with  as 
much  vigor  and  regularity  as  that  of  the  whole  Empire. 
Every  province  is  governed  by  a  Tsoung-tou,  or  gover- 
nor-general, whom  the  Europeans  are  in  the  habit  of 
calling  viceroy,  and  also  by  a  Fou-youen,  or  sub-gov- 
ernor. The  Tsoung-fou  has  the  general  control  of  all 
civil  and  military  affairs.  The  Fou-youen  exercises  a 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          119 

similar  kind  of  authority,  but  is  more  specially  charged 
with  the  civil  administration,  which  is  divided  into  five 
departments,  namely,  the  executive,  the  literary,  that  of 
the  salt  duties,  of  the  commissariat,  and  commerce. 

The  executive  department  is  directed  by  two  superior 
officers,  of  whom  one  undertakes  the  civil  administra- 
tion properly  so  called,  the  other  that  of  criminal  law. 
Under  the  inspection  of  these  officers,  who  render  an 
account  to  the  governor  and  under  governor,  every 
province  is  divided  into  prefectures,  administered  by 
•  civil  officers,  whose  functions  correspond  with  those  of 
our  prefects  and  sub-prefects. 

The  Chinese  distinguish,  first,  the  great  prefectures 
named  Fou,  which  have  a  special  administration  under 
the  inspection  of  the  superior  government  of  the  prov- 
ince; secondly,  the  prefecture  called  TcAeou,  the  func- 
tionaries of  which  depend  sometimes  on  the  provincial 
administration,  and  sometimes  on  that  of  the  grand  pre- 
fecture; and,  finally,  the  sub-prefecture  Hien,  below 
both  the  Fou  and  the  Tcheou.  Each  of  these  three, 
the  Fou  and  *Tcheou  and  the  Hien,  possess  a  kind  of 
chief  town,  surrounded  by  walls  and  fortifications,  where 
the  authorities  reside. 

These  are  the  towns  of  the  first,  second,  and  third 
order,  of  which  mention  is  so  often  made  in  the  ac- 
counts of  the  missionaries. 

The  chief  officers  of  the  prefectures  and  sub-prefec- 
tures are  charged  with  the  collection  of  the  taxes  and 
the  police  duty. 

Secondly.  The  literary  department  of  every  province 
is  conducted  by  a  director  of  instruction,  who  delegates 
his  authority  to  the  principal  professor  residing  in  the 
chief  towns  of  the  prefecture  and  sub-prefectures.  They 
have  under  them  secondary  masters,  who  are"  distributed 
throughout  the  cantons.  Every  year  the  director  of  in- 


120       Jui  KM-;Y  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

struction  makes  a  tour  to  examine  students  and  confer 
the  lirst  literary  degree.  Every  three  years  examiners 
are  sent  from  the  academy  of  the  Han-Lin^  at  Pekin,  to 
preside  over  the  extraordinary  examinations,  and  confer 
the  second  literary  degree ;  and  after  that  the  literary 
graduates  have  to  go  to  Pekin  to  pass  their  examination 
for  the  third  degree. 

Thirdly.  The  department  of  the  salt  duties  has  under 
its  inspection  the  salt-marshes,  as  well  as  the  reservoirs 
and  wells,  and  also  has  to  undertake  the  transport  of 
the  salt. 

Fourthly.  The  department  of  the  commissariat  has 
to  attend  to  the  preservation  of  the  corn,  in  which  the 
greater  part  of  the  taxes  is  paid,  and  to  effect  its  trans- 
port to  the  capital. 

Fifthly.  The  department  of  commerce  has  to  collect 
the  dues  in  the  seaports  and  on  the  navigable  rivers. 
The  maintenance  of  the  dikes  on  the  Yellow  River  is 
intrusted  to  a  special  board,  which  forms,  in  the  prov- 
inces of  Tc/ii,  Chan-toung,  and  Jib-nan,  a  body  inde- 
pendent of  the  provincial  administration. 

The  military  government  of  each  province,  which  is 
placed,  like  the  civil  administration,  under  the  authority 
of  the  viceroy,  has  the  command  of  the  land  and  sea 
forces.  In  general,  the  Chinese  make  little  distinction 
between  the  two  services,  and  the  several  ranks  have 
the  same  names  in  both.  The  generals  in  the  Chinese 
army  are  called  Ti-tou ;  they  are  sixteen  in  number, 
and  two  belong  exclusively  to  the  marine  force. 

These  generals  have  each  their  head-quarters,  where 
they  collect  the  greater  part  of  their  brigade,  and  they 
distribute  the  rest  through  the  different  posts  under 
their  command.  Besides  these,  various  fortresses  of 
the  Empire  'are  occupied  by  Tartar  troops,  commanded 
by  a  Tsiang-kiung,  who  obeys  no  one  but  the  Emperor, 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.  121 

and  whose  business  it  is  to  watch  over  and  keep  in 
respect  the  high  civil  functionaries,  who  might  be  med- 
itating treason  or  revolt.  The  admirals  (Ti-toii)  anc! 
vice-admirals  (Tspung-ping)  reside  constantly  on  shore, 
and  leave  the  command  of  their  squadrons  to  the  sub- 
ordinate officers. 

Below  these  superior  officers,  in  the  various  branches 
of  the  administration,  is  an  enormous  mass  of  subaltern  ' 
functionaries,  whose  names  and  titles  are  scrupulous- 
ly inscribed  in  the  "Book  of  Places."  This  kind  of 
Imperial  almanac,  which  is  printed  anew  every  three 
months,  and  is  perfectly  authentic,  would  give  an  ex- 
cellent idea  of  the  entire  personnel  of  Chinese  adminis- 
tration. 

From  this  slight  sketch  of  the  political  system  of  the 
Empire,  it  will  readily  be  perceived,  that,  absolute  as 
the  government  is,  it  is  not  on  that  account  necessarily 
tyrannical.  If  it  were,  it  would  probably  long  since 
have  ceased  to  exist ;  for  it  is  not  easy  to  conceive  that 
three  hundred  millions  of  men  could  be  ruled  arbitrarily 
and  despotically  for  many  successive  centuries,  let  them 
be  ever  so  apathetic  and  brutalized — and  assuredly  the 
Chinese  are  neither  the  one  nor  the  other. 

To  maintain  order  amidst  these  terrific  masses  of 
people,  nothing  less  was  needed  than  that  powerful 
system  of  centralization  which  was  invented  by  the 
founders  of  the  Chinese  monarchy,  and  which  the  nu- 
merous revolutions  by  which  it  has  been  agitated  have 
only  modified,  without  ever  disturbing  from  the  founda- 
tions. 

Under  shelter  of  these  strong,  energetic,  and,  one 
may  say,  learnedly-combined  institutions,  the  Chinese 
have  been  able  to  live  in  peace,  and  enjoy  some  toler- 
able sort  of  happiness,  which  after  all  is  perhaps  the 
most  that  man  in  this  world  can  reasonably  pretend  to. 
VOL.  I.—  F 


122  .IOIUNEY    TlIKUtGH   THE   CHINESE   EMPIRE. 

The  annals  of  China  resemble  those  of  most  other 
nations ;  they  contain  a  mixture  of  good  and  evil — an 
alternation  of  peaceable  and  happy  periods  with  others 
that  were  agitated  and  miserable :  governments  prob- 
ably will  never  be  found  perfect,  till  the  day  when  men 
shall  be  born  free  from  faults. 

It  is  impossible,  however,  to  disguise  from  one's  self, 
that  the  Chinese  do  appear  at  present  to  have  arrived  at 
one  of  those  epochs  in  which  the  evil  has  gained  the 
ascendant  over  the  good.  Morality,  arts,  industry,  all 
seem  to  be  on  the  decline,  and  poverty  and  destitution 
are  making  rapid  progress. 

We  have  seen  the  most  frightful  corruption  pene- 
trating the  whole  mass  of  society — magistrates  selling 
justice  to  the  highest  bidder ;  Mandarins  of  every  de- 
gree, instead  of  protecting  the  people,  oppressing  and 
pillaging  them  by  every  means  in  their  power. 

But  ought  these  disorders  and  abuses  that  have  glided 
into  the  exercise  of  power  to  be  attributed  to  the  form 
of  the  Chinese  government  ?  One  can  hardly  think  that. 
These  abuses  depend  mostly  on  causes  that  we  shall 
have  occasion  to  point  out  in  the  course  of  our  narra- 
tive ;  but  however  that  may  be,  it  can  not  be  disputed, 
that  the  mechanism  of  the  Chinese  government  deserves 
to  be  studied  carefully,  and  without  prejudice,  by  the 
politicians  of  Europe. 

We  must  not  wholly  despise  the  Chinese ;  there  may 
be  even  much  that  is  admirable  and  instructive  in  their 
ancient  and  curious  institutions,  based  upon  literary 
qualification,  by  which  it  has  been  found  possible  to 
grant,  in  the  communes,  universal  suffrage  to  three  hun. 
dred  millions  of  men,  and  to  render  every  distinction 
accessible  to  all  classes.  During  our  stay  at  Tching- 
tou-fou,  we  had  an  opportunity  not  only  of  making  ac- 
quaintance with  the  high  functionaries  of  the  city,  but 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          123 

of  studying  also  the  manners  and  habits  of  the  Chinese 
Mandarin  in  private  life,  and  in  the  bosom  of  his  family. 

The  magistrate  in  whose  house  we  were  lodged,  was 
named  Pao-ngan,  that  is  "Hidden  Treasure."  He  was 
a  man  of  about  fifty  years  of  age,  of  a  fine  figure,  robust 
health,  and  plump  enough  to  obtain  the  frequent  com- 
pliments of  his  colleagues.  His  strongly-marked  feat- 
ures, brown  complexion,  thick  mustache,  guttural  pro- 
nunciation, and  continual  complaints  of  the  heat,  pointed 
him  out  as  a  native  of  the  north.  He  was,  in  fact,  from 
the  province  of  Chan-si  /  his  father  had  held  some  high 
offices,  but  he  himself  had  never  been  able  to  rise  above 
the  simple  magistracy,  and  even  that  he  had  attained 
only  a  few  years  before.  He  took  good  care  not  to  at- 
tribute this  small  progress  to  want  of  success  in  the 
literary  examinations,  but,  like  most  other  men,  pre- 
ferred laying  the  blame  on  the  injustice  of  men,  and  his 
own  bad  star,  which  took  a  pleasure  in  throwing  him 
out  of  the  road  to  honor  and  fortune.  If  you  would  be- 
lieve him,  his  name  was  most  exactly  descriptive,  and 
he  was,  in  the  full  extent  of  the  term,  a  "  Hidden 
Treasure." 

Although  somewhat  inclined  to  doleful  lamentation, 
Pao-ngan  was,  on  the  whole,  a  very  goed  fellow,  and 
took  the  trials  and  vicissitudes  of  this  nether  world  pretty 
easily.  He  had  come  into  office  rather  late,  and  only 
when  his  days  were  on  the  decline,  but  he  certainly  did 
his  utmost  to  make  up  for  lost  time. 

He  loved  law  to  the  bottom  of  his  heart,  and  never 
failed  to  make  the  most  of  it.  He  had  two  or  three 
kinds  of  myrmidons  constantly  employed  in  rummaging 
up,  in  all  quarters  of  the  town,  all  the  little  affairs  that 
could  be  brought  within  his  jurisdiction,  and  his  good- 
humor  increased  with  the  number  he  had  on  his  hands. 

Such  an  eagerness  for  the  fulfillment  of  duties  that 


124          JOURNEY   THROUGH  THE   CHINESE    EMPIRE. 

are  mostly  considered  troublesome  and  annoying,  could 
not  but  appear  to  us  very  edifying,  and  we  found  our- 
selves charitably  disposed  to  admire  in  Pao-ngan  his  ex- 
traordinary passion  for  justice.  But  lie  speedily  un- 
deceived us,  by  very  frankly  declaring  that  he  wanted 
money,  and  that  a  well-managed  cause  was  the  best 
means  of  procuring  it.  "If  it  is  allowable,"  said  he, 
"to  make  a  fortune  by  trade  and  commerce,  why  may 
one  not  also  grow  rich  by  teaching  reason  to  the  people, 
and  developing  the  principles  of  justice  ?" 

These  not  very  elevated  sentiments  are  common  to 
all  the  Mandarins,  and  they  express  them  openly  and 
without  scruple.  The  administration  of  justice  has  be- 
come a  regular  traffic,  and  the  chief  cause  of  this  abuse, 
we  really  believe,  is  to  be  found  in  the  insufficient  re- 
muneration allotted  by  government  to  magistrates.  It 
is  extremely  difficult  for  them  to  live  in  suitable  style, 
with  the  palanquins,  and  servants,  and  the  costume 
suitable  to  their  position,  if  they  have  nothing  more  to 
meet  all  these  expenses  than  the  slender  resources  grant- 
ed to  them  by  the  State.  Their  subordinates  have  no 
pay  at  all,  and  have  to  indemnify  themselves  as  well 
as  they  can,  by  exercising  their  industry  on  the  unlucky 
suitors  who  pass  through  their  hands — veritable  sheep, 
from  whom  every  one  snatches  as  much  wool  as  he  can 
tear  off,  and  who  are  not  unfrequently  at  last  completely 
flayed. 

Toward  the  commencement  of  the  present  dynasty, 
these  abuses  had  become  so  flagrant,  and  the  complaints 
on  the  subject  so  unanimous  throughout  the  Empire, 
that  the  cantons  drew  up  a  memorial  against  the  coun- 
try tribunals,  and  presented  it  to  the  Emperor  Tchancj- 
hi.  The  answer  was  soon  given,  and  a  curious  one  it 
was.  "The  Emperor,  considering  the  immense  popu- 
lation of  the  Empire,  the  great  division  of  territorial 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.  125 

property,  and  the  notoriously  law-loving  character  of  the 
Chinese,  is  of  opinion  that  law-suits  would  tend  to  in- 
crease, to  a  frightful  amount,  if  people  were  not  afraid 
of  the  tribunals,  and  if  they  felt  confident  of  always 
finding  in  them  ready  and  perfect  justice.  As  man," 
continues  the  Imperial  logician,  "is  apt  to  delude  him- 
self concerning  his  own  interests,  contests  would  be  then 
intenninable,  and  the  half  of  the  Empire  would  not  suf- 
fice to  settle  the  law-suits  of  the  other  half.  I  desire, 
therefore,  that  those  who  have  recourse  to  the  tribunals 
should  be  treated  without  any  pity,  and  in  such  a  man- 
ner that  they  shall  be  disgusted  with  law,  and  tremble 
to  appear  before  a  magistrate.  In  this  manner  the  evil 
will  be  cut  up  by  the  roots ;  the  good  citizens,  who  may 
have  difficulties  among  themselves,  will  settle  them  like 
brothers,  by  referring  to  the  arbitration  of  some  old  man, 
or  the  mayor  of  the  commune.  As  for  those  who  are 
troublesome,  obstinate,  and  quarrelsome,  let  them  be 
ruined  in  the  law-courts — that  is  the  justice  that  is  due 
to  them." 

One  can  not,  perhaps,  altogether  admit  the  validity 
of  this  Imperial  reasoning,  but  it  is  nevertheless  un- 
doubtedly true,  that  in  China,  those  who  haunt  the  tri- 
bunals, and  get  themselves  ruined,  and  not  unfrequently 
knocked  down  also,  by  the  Mandarins,  are,  with  some 
honorable  exceptions,  men  of  a  vindictive  and  malig- 
nant character,  to  whom  no  counsel  can  be  of  service, 
and  who  have  need  to  be  chastised  by  their  "  father  and 
mother."* 

Pao-ngan,  the  "Hidden  Treasure,"  for  his  part,  fol- 
lowed scrupulously  the  gracious  instructions  of  the  Em- 
peror Tchang-hL  Since  he  had  been  installed  in  his 
little  tribunal,  he  dreamed  of  nothing  but  of  fleecing 
suitors ;  but  it  is  most  likely  nevertheless  that  this  was 
*  A  title  given  by  the  Chinese  to  their  magistrates. 


126          JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

not  solely  with  the  philanthropic  purpose  of  diminishing 
their  numbers.  One  day,  when  we  were  asking  from 
him  some  information  with  respect  to  the  capital  of  Sse- 
lihuen,  he  mentioned  to  us  a  certain  district  as  being  the 
worst  in  the  town.  We  supposed,  of  course,  that  this 
abominable  quarter  was  the  resort  of  all  sorts  of  bad 
characters,  but  it  was  precisely  the  contrary. 

"Since  I  have  been  in  the  magistracy,"  said  Pao- 
ngan,  with  delightful  naivete,  "that  district  has  never 
given  me  a  single  suit ;  concord  reigns  among  all  the 
families  in  it." 

This  excellent  magistrate  had  two  sons,  who  aspired 
to  follow  in  their  father's  footsteps,  but  it  seemed  likely 
they  would  never  attain  to  the  honor  of  placing  any 
kind  of  ball  on  their  caps.  The  elder,  who  was  twenty- 
three  years  of  age,  and  already  the  father  of  a  little  cit- 
izen of  the  Chinese  Empire,  who  trotted  about  and  prat- 
tled very  prettily,  had  an  exceedingly  stupid  though 
conceited  face,  which  afforded  a  very  just  idea  of  his 
intellectual  pretensions.  He  had  been  studying  all  his 
life,  and  was  apparently  a  student  still,  but  the  degree 
of  Bachelor  was  an  honor  he  had  not  yet  attained.  His 
papa,  the  "Hidden  Treasure,"  frankly  admitted  that  his 
eldest  son  was  not  remarkably  clever. 

The  younger,  a  lad  of  seventeen,  was  pale  and  feeble, 
and  evidently  consumptive,  but  as  amiable  and  interest- 
ing as  his  elder  brother  was  tiresome.  He  was  well 
informed  too,  and  far  from  unintelligent,  and  he  had  a 
soft,  melancholy  tone  in  his  voice  that  added  to  the 
charm  of  his  conversation. 

If  to  this  "Hidden  Treasure"  and  his  family  be  added 
our  two  guards  of  honor,  the  youthful  consumer  of 
opium,  and  the  ancient  chewer  of  melon-seeds,  a  good 
idea  will  be  formed  of  the  society^n  which  we  found 
ourselves.  It  was  a  curious  thing  enough  for  two 


JOURNEY  THKOUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          127 

French  missionaries  to  be  living  thus  familiarly  with 
Mandarins  in  the  middle  of  a  great  Chinese  town,  on 
the  confines  of  Thibet,  ten  thousand  leagues  from  their 
own  country,  while  their  fate  was  being  decided  in  a 
discussion  between  the  viceroy  of  the  province  and  the 
Court  of  Pekin. 

The  life  of  a  Chinese  Mandarin  appeared  to  us  a' very 
leisurely  one.  At  sunrise,  Pao-ngan  installed  himself 
on  his  judge's  seat,  and  passed  the  first  hours  of  the 
morning  in  administering  justice,  or,  more  properly 
speaking,  in  arranging  and  legalizing  the  extortions  of 
his  scribes.  After  this  rather  superfluous  labor  came 
the  great  affairs  of  the  day,  namely,  breakfast,  dinner, 
and  supper.  Pao-ngan  kept  a  very  good  table,  as  he 
received  an  extra  allowance  on  our  account;  but,  ample 
as  it  was,  the  unfortunate  man  could  not,  after  the  third 
day,  resist  putting  water  into  the  excellent  rice-wine,  in 
order  to  squeeze  a  little  more  profit  out  of  us.  It  seems 
as  if  a  Chinese  really  must  make  use  of  some  kind  of 
fraud  and  trickery;  every  unlawful  gain  has  for  him 
such  an  irresistible  attraction.  In  the  intervals  between 
his  meals,  the  occupations  of  Pao-ngan  were  not  very 
laborious ;  he  smoked,  he  drank  tea,  he  amused  himself 
with  munching  dried  fruits,  or  fragments  of  sugar-cane ; 
or  he  dozed  upon  a  divan,  or  fanned  himself  with  large 
palm-leaves,  or  possibly  played  a  game  of  cards  or 
chess.  Then  some  other  Mandarin,  as  idle  as  himself, 
would  come  sauntering  in,  and  they  would  sit  down  to- 
gether, and  mourn  over  the  inconveniences  and  toils  of 
public  life. 

Such  was  the  life  of  our  legal  functionary.  We  never 
surprised  him  so  much  as  a  single  time  with  a  pen  or  a 
book  in  his  hand. 

It  may  be  supposed  that  all  Chinese  official  person- 
ages are  not  precisely  like  Pao-ngan.  We  have  known 


128          JOURNEY   TlIllOUGU   TJ1K   CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

some  who  were,  on  the  contrary,  active,  intelligent,  and 
studious,  and  constantly  stimulated  by  the  hope  of  ad- 
vancement in  their  career. 

During  our  residence  in  this  family,  we  used,  when 
we  became  too  weary  of  our  habitual  company,  to  go 
and  take  refuge  with  a  personage  who  passed  the  great- 
er part  of  the  day  at  the  house.  This  was  a  venerable 
graduate  of  letters, .  the  tutor  of  the  "  Hidden  Treas- 
ure's" children.  We  used  to  talk  to  him  of  Europe, 
and  he,  in  return,  told  us  stories  of  China,  which  he 
seasoned  plentifully  with  sentences  from  the  classic  au- 
thors of  his  country.  This  learned  Chinese  resembled 
very  much  those  erudite  personages  of  former  days  whose 
conversation  was  always  bristling  with  quotations  from 
Latin  and  Greek.  In  France  the  race  is  almost  extinct, 
but  it  is  still  flourishing  in  full  vigor  in  China.  The 
man  of  learning  is  accustomed  to  present  himself  with  a 
considerable  amount  of  easy  assurance,  indeed  with  not 
a  little  vanity  and  pomposity,  so  convinced  is  he  of  his 
own  value. 

He  is  the  diapason  of  every  conversation,  for  he  is 
erudite,  and  moreover  a  fine  speaker.  His  vocal  organ 
is  mostly  of  a  marvelous  flexibility,  and  he  has  the  habit 
of  accompanying  his  words  with  much  stately  gesticula- 
tion, of  emphasizing  many  of  them,  and  indulging  in 
great  variety  of  intonation. 

His  language,  being  in  a  very  sublime  style,  is  not 
always  very  intelligible  ;  but  that  is  perhaps  rather  an 
advantage,  as  it  gives  him  an  opportunity  of  assisting 
the  comprehension  of  his  hearers,  by  describing,  with 
his  finger  in  the  air,  explanatory  characters.  If  any 
one  else  begins  to  talk  in  his  presence,  he  listens  to  him 
with  a  shake  of  the  head,  and  a  compassionate  smile 
that  seems  to  say,  "Well!  Well!  you  have  not  the 
gift  of  eloquence." 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          129 

But  when  one  of  these  erudite  gentlemen  fills  the 
office  of  tutor,  although  at  bottom  he  may  have  the  same 
amount  of  conceit,  he  is  forced  to  put  on  a  little  mod- 
esty over  it ;  for  he  understands  very  well  the  impru- 
dence of  displaying  his  pride  before  those  who  require 
his  services. 

These  magistri  form  in  China  an  extremely  numer- 
ous class.  They  are  usually  men  of  no  fortune,  who, 
not  having  been  able  to  attain  to  the  dignity  of  the 
mandarinate,  are  obliged  to  resort  to  this  method  of  ob- 
taining their  living.  It  is  not  necessary  to  have  passed 
all  the  examinations  in  order  to  become  a  magister,  for 
in  China  education  is  quite  free,  and  any  one  is  at  lib- 
erty to  set  up  a  school,  without  the  government  inter- 
fering with  him  in  any  way  whatever.  The  interest  a 
father  must  feel  in  the  education  of  his  children  is  sup- 
posed to  be  a  sufficient  guarantee  for  his  choice  of  a 
master. 

The  heads  of  the  villages  and  of  the  different  districts 
of  the  cities  assemble  when  they  wish  to  found  a  school, 
and  deliberate  on  the  choice  of  a  master,  and  the  salary 
that  is  to  be  allowed  him. 

They  then  prepare  a  local  habitation  for  it,  and  open 
the  classes.  If  the  magister  does  not  contimie  to  please 
those  who  have  chosen  him,  they  dismiss  him,  and 
choose  another.  The  government  has  only  an  indirect 
influence  over  the  schools,  through  the  examinations  of 
those  who  aspire  to  enter  the  corporation  of  letters. 
They  are  obliged  to  study  the  classical  authors  upon 
Avhich  they  have  to  be  examined ;  but  the  uniformity 
that  is  seen  in  Chinese  schools  is  rather  the  result  of 
custom,  and  general  agreement  of  the  people,  than  of 
legal  prescription.  In  our  Catholic  schools  the  Chinese 
professors  explain  the  Christian  doctrine  freely  to  their 
pupils,  without  any  other  control  than  that  of  the  vicar 

F* 


130          JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

apostolic  or  the  missionary.  The  rich  are  very  much 
in  the  Imbit  of  having  for  their  children  private  tutors, 
who  give  them  lessons  at  home,  and  often  lodge  in  the 
family. 

Of  all  countries  in  the  world  China  is  assuredly  the 
one  in  which  primary  instruction  is  most  widely  dif- 
fused. There  is  no  little  village,  not  even  a  group  of 
farms,  in  which  a  teacher  is  not  to  be  found.  He  re- 
sides most  frequently  in  the  Pagoda ;  and  for  his  main- 
tenance he  has  usually  the  revenue  of  a  foundation,  or 
sometimes  a  kind  of  tithe  paid  by  the  farmers  after  the 
harvest. 

The  schools  are  rather  less  numerous  in  the  northern 
provinces ;  it  almost  seems  as  if  the  intellects  of  the  peo- 
ple were  rendered  duller  and  heavier  by  the  rigor  of  the 
climate. 

The  people  of  the  south,  on  the  contrary,  are  acute 
and  lively,  and  devote  themselves  with  ardor  to  liter- 
ary studies.  With  some  few  exceptions,  every  Chi- 
nese knows  how  to  read  and  write,  at  least  sufficiently 
for  the  ordinary  occasions  of  life.  Thus  the  workmen, 
the  peasants  even,  are  capable  of  taking  notes  concern- 
ing their  daily  affairs,  of  carrying  on  their  own  corre- 
spondence, of  reading  the  proclamations  of  the  Manda- 
rins, and  often  also  the  productions  of  the  current  lit- 
erature. 

Primary  instruction  has  even  made  its  way  into  the 
floating  dwellings,  which  cover  by  thousands  the  rivers, 
lakes,  and  canals  of  the  Celestial  Empire.  One  is  sure 
of  rinding  in  their  little  barques,  a  writing-desk,  an  arith- 
metical machine,  an  annual  register,  some  of  the  little 
brushes  that  supply  the  place  of  pens,  and  some  pam- 
phlets which  in  their  moments  of  leisure  the  mariners 
amuse  themselves  by  deciphering.  The  Chinese  tutor 
is  charged  not  only  with  the  instruction,  but  also  with 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          131 

the  education  of  his  pupils.  He  has  to  teach  them  the 
principles  of  politeness,  to  train  them  to  the  practice  of 
the  ceremonial  of  public  and  private  life,  to  show  them 
the  various  modes  of  salutation,  and  the  deportment  they 
have  to  observe  toward  their  relations,  their  superiors, 
and  their  equals. 

The  Chinese  have  been  much  reproached  for  their  ab- 
surd attachment  to  frivolous  ceremonies,  and  the  minutiae 
of  etiquette.  People  have  been  pleased  to  represent 
them  as  always  moving  in  a  grave,  solemn  manner,  after 
the  fashion  of  automata,  executing  in  their  friendly  sal- 
utations only  certain  manoeuvres  prescribed  by  the  law, 
and  addressing  each  other  in  stiff  formulas  of  courtesy 
learnt  by  heart  from  the  ritual.  The  Chinese  of  the 
lower  class,  the  palanquin  bearers,  and  street  porters 
of  great  towns,  have  been  supposed  to  be  always  pros- 
trating themselves  to. each  other,  and  asking  ten  thou- 
sand pardons,  after  having  been  abusing  or  even  knock- 
ing each  other  down.  These  extravagances  are  not 
really  to  be  met  with  in  China;  they  are  to  be  found 
only  in  the  accounts  of  Europeans,  who  seem  to  think 
themselves  obliged,  in  speaking  of  a  country  so  little 
known,  to  relate  many  strange  things.  Setting  aside 
all  exaggeration,  however,  it  is  certain  that  urbanity 
is  among  the  Chinese  a  distinctive  sign  of  national  char- 
acter. 

A  fondness  for  polite  and  decorous  observance  may 
be  traced  among  them  from  the  remotest  antiquity,  and 
their  ancient  philosophers  never  fail  to  recommend  to 
the  people  a  strict  observance  of  the  precepts  establish- 
ed for  the  relations  of  society.  Confucius  said  that  cere- 
monies are  the  symbols  of  virtue,  and  destined  to  pre- 
serve it,  to  recall  it  to  memory,  and  even  sometimes 
to  supply  its  place.  These  principles  being  among  the 
earliest  inculcated  by  schoolmasters  on  the  minds  of 


i:\-l          .JOUKNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

their  pupils,  it  is  not  surprising  that  we  find  in  all 
ranks  of  society  manners  which  display  more  or  less  of 
that  politeness  which  is  the  basis  of  Chinese  education; 
and  even  the  country  people  and  peasants  certainly  treat 
each  other  with  more  respect  and  decorum  than  would 
be  manifested  among  the  laborious  classes  of  Europe. 

In  their  official  reports,  and  on  solemn  occasions,  the 
Chinese  have  certainly  too  much  of  stiffness  and  bom- 
bastic grimace,  and  are  too  much  the  slaves  of  ceremo- 
nious etiquette.  The  regulation  tears  and  groans  of 
their  funeral  ceremonies,  their  emphatic  protestations  of 
affection,  respect,  and  devotion  to  people  they  despise 
and  detest,  the  pressing  invitations  to  dinner,  given  on 
condition  of  not  being  accepted ;  all  these  are  excesses 
and  abuses  common  enough,  but  which  were  even  no- 
ticed and  blamed  by  Confucius  himself.  This  rigid  ob- 
server of  "The  Rites,"  has  somewhere  said  that,  with 
respect  to  ceremonies,  it  is  better  to  be  a  miser  than  a 
prodigal,  especially  if  in  practicing  them  one  has  not  the 
feeling  in  the  heart  that  alone  confers  on  them  merit  and 
importance. 

Apart  from  these  public  demonstrations,  in  which 
there  is  often  a  good  deal  of  constraint  and  affectation, 
the  Chinese  are  not  deficient  in  openness  and  freedom 
of  deportment.  When  they  have  pulled  off  their  satin 
boots,  and  laid  aside  their  robes  of  state  and  their  offi- 
cial hats,  they  become  men  of  the  world ;  and  in  the 
habitual  intercourse  of  daily  life  they  know  how  to  re- 
lease themselves  from  the  bonds  of  etiquette,  and  in- 
dulge in  social  recreation,  in  which  the  conversation  is 
seasoned,  as  among  ourselves,  with  gayety  and  pleasant 
trifling.  Friends  meet  in  an  unceremonious  way  to  tea 
or  warm  wine,  or  perhaps  to  smoke  the  excellent  tobacco 
of  Lcao-tong ;  and  sometimes  on  such  occasions  they 
amuse  themselves  by  guessing  riddles  and  making  puns. 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          133 

The  chief  branch  of  instruction  in  the  Chinese  schools 
is  that  of  reading  and  writing,  or  painting  the  Chinese 
characters.  To  exercise  the  hand  of  the  pupil,  they 
oblige  him  to  practice  first  the  elementary  forms  that 
enter  into  the  composition  of  the  letter,  and  then  to 
proceed  gradually  to  more  complicated  combinations. 
"When  he  can  make  a  firm  and  easy  stroke  with  the 
pencil,  beautiful  examples  of  various  styles  of  writing 
are  given  to  him  to  copy.  The  master  corrects  the 
work  of  the  pupil  in  red  ink,  improving  the  badly 
drawn  letters,  and  pointing  out  the  various  beauties 
and  imperfections  in  the  copy.  The  Chinese  set  great 
value  on  fine  writing ;  and  a  good  calligrapher,  or, 
as  they  say,  "an  elegant  pencil,"  is  always  much  ad- 
mired. 

For  the  knowledge  and  good  pronunciation  of  the 
character,  the  master,  at  the  beginning  of  the  lesson, 
repeats  a  certain  number  to  each  pupil,  according  to  his 
capacity.  They  then  all  return  to  their  places,  repeat- 
ing their  lesson  in  a  chanting  tone,  and  rocking  them- 
selves backward  and  forward.  The  uproar  and  confu- 
sion of  a  Chinese  school,  in  which  every  pupil  is  vocifer- 
ating his  own  particular  monosyllables  in  his  own  par- 
ticular tone,  without  at  all  troubling  himself  about  his 
neighbor,  may  easily  be  imagined.  While  they  are  thus 
chanting  and  rocking  about,  the  master  of  the  school, 
like  the  leader  of  a  band,  keeps  his  ears  pricked  and  at- 
tentive to  all  that  is  going  on,  shouting  out  his  amend- 
ments from  time  to  time  to  those  who  are  missing  the 
true  intonation.  As  soon  as  the  pupil  thinks  he  has 
his  lesson  perfectly  impressed  on  his  memory,  he  goes 
up  to  the  master,  makes  a  low  bow,  presents  his  book, 
turns  his  back,  and  repeats  what  he  has  learnt.  This 
is  what  they  call  pey-chou,  "turning  the  back  on  a 
book  ;"  that  is,  saying  a  lesson. 


134          JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

The  Chinese  character  is  so  large,  and  so  easy  to  dis- 
tinguish, even  at  a  great  distance,  that  this  method 
docs  not  appear  superfluous,  if  the  point  is  to  ascertain 
whether  the  pupil  is  really  repeating  from  memory.  The 
bawling  and  rocking  themselves  about  is  considered  to 
lessen  the  fatigue  of  study. 

The  first  book  that  is  placed  in  the  hands  of  scholars 
is  a  very  ancient  and  popular  work,  entitled  San-dze- 
Jdng,  or  Sacred  Trimetrical  Book.  The  author  has 
named  it  thus  because  it  is  divided  into  little  couplets, 
each  verse  of  which  is  composed  of  three  characters  or 
words.  The  hundred  and  seventy-eight  verses  contained 
in  the  San-dze-king  form  a  kind  of  encyclopaedia,  in 
which  children  find  a  concise  and  admirable  summary 
of  the  chief  branches  of  knowledge  that  constitute  Chi- 
nese science. 

It  treats  of  the  nature  of  man,  of  the  various  modes 
of  education,  of  the  importance  of  the  social  duties,  of 
numbers  and  their  origin,  of  the  three  great  powers,  of 
the  four  seasons,  of  the  five  cardinal  points,  of  the  five 
elements,  of  the  five  constant  virtues,  of  the  six  kinds 
of  corn,  of  the  six  classes  of  domestic  animals,  of  the 
seven  dominant  passions,  of  the  eight  notes  of  music, 
of  the  nine  degrees  of  relationship,  of  the  ten  relative 
duties,  of  studies  and  academical  compositions,  of  gen- 
eral history  and  the  succession  of  dynasties ;  and  the 
work  concludes  with  reflections  and  examples  on  the 
necessity  and  importance  of  study  in  general.  It  may 
well  be  imagined  that  a  treatise  of  this  kind,  well  learnt 
by  the  pupils,  and  properly  applied  by  the  master,  must 
greatly  develop  the  intellects  of  Chinese  children,  and 
favor  their  natural  taste  for  the  acquisition  of  serious 
and  positive  knowledge.  The  San-dze-king  is  worthy 
in  all  respects  of  the  immense  popularity  it  enjoys.  The 
author,  a  disciple  of  Confucius,  commences  with  a  dis- 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE   CHINESE  EMPIRE.          135 

ticli,  the  profound  and  traditional  sense  of  which  is  very 
striking — Jen-dze-tsou-sin-pen-chan,  "Man  in  the  be- 
ginning Avas  of  a  nature  essentially  holy."  But  it  is 
probable  that  the  Chinese  understand  very  little  the 
tendency  and  the  consequences  of  the  thought  ex- 
pressed in  these  two  lines. 

A.  learned  Christian  has  composed  for  the  schools  of 
our  missions  'a  little  theological  encyclopedia  on  the 
model  of  the  San-dze-king.  The  verses  are  formed  ot 
four  words  ;  and  it  is  for  this  reason,  he  has  given  it  the 
title  Sse-dze-king,  or  Sacred  Book  in  Four  Characters. 

After  the  trimetrical  encyclopaedia  the  Sse-chou,  or 
Four  Classical  Books,  are  placed  in  the  hands  of  the 
pupils.  Of  these  we  will  endeavor  to  give  some  brief 
idea.  The  first  is  the  Ta-hio,  or  Grand  Study ;  a  kind 
of  treatise  on  politics  and  morals,  composed  from  the 
very  concise  text  of  Confucius,  by  one  of  his  disciples ; 
and  the  grand  principle  inculcated  in  it  is  self-improve- 
ment. These  are  the  words  of  Confucius  : 

I. 

"The  law  of  the  Grand  Study,  or  practical  philosophy,  consists  in 
developing  the  luminous  principle  of  reason,  which  we  have  received 
from  Heaven,  for  the  regeneration  of  man,  and  in  placing  his  final  des- 
tiny in  perfection,  or  the  sovereign  good. 

II. 

"We  must  first  know  the  goal  toward  which  we  are  tending,  or  our 
definitive  destination.  This  being  known,  we  may  afterward  maintain 
the  calmness  and  tranquillity  of  our  minds.  The  mind  being  calm  and 
tranquil,  we  may  afterward  enjoy  that  unalterable  repose  which  nothing 
can  trouble.  Having  then  attained  to  the  enjoyment  of  the  unalter- 
able repose  which  nothing  can  trouble,  we  may  afterward  meditate  and 
form  our  judgment  on  the  essence  of  things ;  and  having  formed  our 
judgments  of  the  essence  of  things,  we  may  then  attain  to  the  desired 
perfection. 

m. 

"  The  beings  of  nature  have  causes  and  effects ;  human  actions, 
principles,  and  consequences.  To  know  causes  and  effects,  principles 
and  consequences,  is  to  approach  very  nearly  to  the  rational  method  by 
which  perfection  is  attained. 


136          JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

IV. 

"The  ancient  princes  who  desired  to  develop  in  their  states  the 
luminous  principle  of  reason  that  we  have  received  from  Heaven,  en- 
deavored first  to  govern  well  their  kingdoms ;  those  who  desired  to  gov- 
ern well  their  kingdoms,  endeavored  first  to  keep  good  order  in  their 
families ;  those  who  desired  to  keep  good  order  in  their  families,  en- 
deavored first  to  correct  themselves ;  those  who  desired  to  correct  them- 
selves, endeavored  first  to  give  uprightness  to  their  souls ;  those  who  de- 
sired to  give  uprightness  to  their  souls,  endeavored  first  to  render  their 
intentions  pure  and  sincere ;  those  who  desired  to  render  their  inten- 
tions pure  and  sincere,  endeavored  to  perfect,  as  much  as  possible,  their 
moral  knowledge,  and  examine  thoroughly  their  principles  of  action. 

V. 

"The  principles  of  action  being  thoroughly  examined,  the  moral 
knowledge  attains  the  highest  degree  of  perfection  ;  the  moral  knowl- 
edge having  attained  the  highest  degree  of  perfection,  the  intentions 
are  rendered  pure  and  sincere ;  the  intentions  being  rendered  pure  and 
sincere,  the  soul  is  penetrated  with  probity  and  uprightness,  and  the 
mind  is  afterward  corrected  and  improved;  the  mind  being  corrected 
and  improved,  the  family  is  afterward  better  managed ;  the  family  be- 
ing better  managed,  the  kingdom  is  afterward  well  governed;  and  the 
kingdom  being  well  governed,  the  world  enjoys  harmony  and  peace. 

VI. 

"All  men,  the  most  elevated  in  rank  as  well  as' the  most  humble  and 
obscure,  are  equally  bound  to  perform  their  duty.  The  correction  and 
amelioration  of  one's  self,  or  self-improvement,  is  the  basis  of  all  pro- 
gress, and  of  all  moral  development. 

VII. 

"  It  is  not  in  the  nature  of  things  but  that  whatever  has  its  basis  in 
disorder  and  confusion,  should  also  have  what  necessarily  results  from 
that.  To  treat  lightly  what  is  the  principal  or  most  important  thing, 
and  seriously  what  is  only  secondary,  that  is  a  method  of  action  we 
ought  never  to  follow." 

As  we  have  said,  the  Book  of  the  Grand  Study  is 
composed  of  the  preceding  text,  with  a  commentary  in 
ten  chapters  by  a  disciple  of  Confucius.  The  commen- 
tator exerts  himself  especially  to  apply  the  doctrine  of 
his  master  to  political  government,  which  Confucius  de- 
fines as  what  is  just  and  right,  and  which  he  supposes 
founded  on  the  consent  of  the  people.  The  formula  in 
the  Grand  Study  is  as  follows : 

"  Obtain  the  affection  of  the  people,  and  thou  wilt  obtain  the  empire  \ 
Lose  the  affection  of  the  people,  and  thou  wilt  lose  the  empire  !" 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.  137 

| 
The  Book  of  the  Grand   Study  concludes   in  these 

words : 

"  If  those  who  govern  states  only  think  of  amassing  riches  for  their 
personal  use,  they  will  infallibly  attract  toward  them  depraved  men ; 
these  depraved  men  will  make  the  sovereign  believe  that  they  are  good 
and  virtuous ;  and  these  depraved  men  will  govern  the  kingdom.  But 
the  administration  of  these  unworthy  ministers  will  call  down  the  chas- 
tisements of  Heaven,  and  excite  the  vengeance  of  the  people.  When 
matters  have  reached  this  point,  what  ministers,  were  they  ever  so  good 
and  virtuous,  could  avert  misfortune?  Therefore,  those  who  govern 
kingdoms  ought  never  to  make  their  private  fortune  out  of  the  public 
revenues ;  but  their  only  riches  should  be  justice  and  equity." 

The  second  classical  book,  Tchoung-young,  or  The 
Invariable  Centre,  is  a  treatise  on  the  conduct  of  wise 
men  in  life.  It  has  been  edited  by  a  disciple  of  Con- 
fucius, according  to  instructions  received  from  the  lips 
of  the  master  himself.  The  system  of  morals  contained 
in  this  book  is  based  on  the  principle,  that  virtue  is 
always  at  an  equal  distance  from  two  extremes — In 
media  consistit  virtus.  This  harmonious  centre,  Ching- 
ho,  is  the  source  of  the  true,  the  beautiful,  and  the  good. 

I. 

"  The  disciple  Sse-lou  inquires  of  his  master  concerning  the  strength 
of  man. 

II. 

"  Confucius  replies :  '  Is  it  concerning  manly  strength  in  northern 
or  in  southern  countries  that  you  wish  to  inquire  ?  Is  it  of  your  own 
strength  ?' 

III. 

"To  have  gentle  and  benevolent  manners  for  the  instruction  of  men 
— to  have  compassion  toward  those  madmen  who  revolt  against  reason 
— this  is  the  manly  strength  proper  to  southern  countries ;  it  is  that 
which  the  wise  endeavor  to  attain. 

IV. 

•"To  make  one's  couch  on  steel  blades  and  skins  of  wild  beasts — to 
contemplate  without  shuddering  the  approach  of  death — this  is  the 
manly  strength  proper  to  northern  countries,  and  it  is  that  which  the 
brave  endeavor  to  attain. 

V. 

"But  much  stronger  and  much  grander  is  the  power  of  soul  belong- 
ing to  the  sage  who  lives  always  at  peace  with  men,  and  who  does  not 


138          JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

• 

allow  himself  to  be  corrupted  by  passion.  Much  stronger  and  grander 
is  the  power  of  soul  in  him  who  keeps  always  in  the  straight  path, 
equally  distant  from  the  two  extremes.  Much  stronger  and  grander 
is  the  power  of  soul  in  him  who,  when  his  country  is  in  the  enjoyment 
of  a  good  government,  which  is  his  work,  does  not  allow  himself  to  be 
corrupted  or  blinded  by  a  foolish  pride.  Much  stronger  and  grander 
is  the  power  of  soul  in  him  who,  when  his  country,  being  lawless,  has 
not  a  good  government,  remains  immovable  in  his  virtue  till  death." 

Confucius,  in  his  Invariable  Centre,  as  in  his  other 
treatises,  endeavors  to  apply  his  ethical  principles  to 
politics.  These  are  the  conditions  on  which  he  allows 
to  sovereigns  the  right  of  governing  nations  and  giving 
them  institutions : 

I. 

"  It  is  only  the  man  supremely  holy,  who,  by  the  faculty  of  knowing 
thoroughly,  and  comprehending  perfectly,  the  primitive  laws  of  living 
beings,  is  worthy  of  possessing  supreme  authority  and  commanding 
men — who,  by  possessing  a  soul,  grand,  firm,  constant,  and  imperturb- 
able, is  capable  of  making  justice  and  equity  reign — who,  by  his  faculty 
of  being  always  honest,  simple,  upright,  grave,  and  just,  is  capable  of 
attracting  respect  and  veneration — who,  by  his  faculty  of  being  clothed 
with  the  ornaments  of  the  mind  and  the  talents  procured  by  assiduous 
study,  and  by  the  enlightenment  that  is  given  by  an  exact  investigation 
of  the  most  hidden  things  and  the  most  subtle  principles — is  capable 
of  discerning  with  accuracy  the  true  from  the  false,  and  good  from  evil. 

II. 

"  His  faculties  are  so  ample,  so  vast,  so  profound,  that  he  is  like  an 
immense  spring,  whence  all  issues  in  due  season. 

III. 

"They  are  vast  and  extensive  as  the  heavens;  the  hidden  source 
whence  they  flow  is  deep  as  the  abyss.  Let  this  man  supremely  holy 
appear  with  his  virtues,  and  his  powerful  faculties,  and  the  nations  will 
not  fail  to  have  faith  in  his  words.  Let  him  act,  and  the  nations  will 
not  fail  to  be  in  joy. 

IV. 

"  It  is  thus  that  the  renown  of  his  virtues  will  be  like  an  ocean,  in- 
undating the  empire  in  every  part.  It  will  extend  even  to  the  bar- 
barians of  the  north  and  the  south.  Wherever  vessels  or  chariots  can 
reach — wherever  the  power  of  human  industry  can  penetrate — in  all 
the  places  which  the  heavens  cover  with  their  immense  canopy — on  all 
points  that  the  earth  contains,  which  the  sun  and  the  moon  enlighten 
with  their  rays — which  the  dew  and  the  clouds  of  morning  fertilize — 
all  human  beings  who  live  and  breathe  can  never  fail  to  love  and  to 
revere  him." 


JOURNEY   THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.  139 

The  third  classical  book,  Lun-yu,  or  Philosophical 
Conversations,  is  a  collection  of  maxims  put  together  in 
rather  a  confused  manner,  and  of  recollections  of  the  dis- 
courses of  Confucius  with  his  disciples.  Among  a  great 
number  of  commonplaces  on  morals  and  politics,  are 
some  profound  thoughts,  and  some  curious  details  con- 
cerning the  character  and  manners  of  Confucius,  who 
seems  to  have  been  something  of  an  original.  Thus, 
the  Lun-yu  informs  us  that  the  master,  in  introducing 
his  guests,  kept  his  arms  stretched  out  like  the  wings 
of  a  bird ;  that  he  would  never  eat  meat  that  was  not 
cut  in  a  straight  line  ;  that  if  the  mat  on  which  he  was 
to  sit  down  was  not  regularly  placed,  he  would  not  take 
it ;  that  he  would  point  to  nothing  with  his  fingers,  etc. 

Finally,  the  fourth  classical  book  is  that  of  Meng-tze, 
or  Mincius,  as  he  is  called  by  Europeans.  This  work, 
divided  into  two  parts,  contains  the  summary  of  the 
counsels  addressed  by  this  celebrated  philosopher  to  the 
princes  of  his  time  and  his  disciples.  Mincius  has  been 
decorated  by  his  countrymen  with  the  title  of  Second 
Sage,  Confucius  being  the  first ;  and  they  render  to  him, 
in  the  great  Hall  of  the  Learned,  the  same  honors  as  to 
Confucius.  This  is  what  a  Chinese  author  says  of  the 
Book  of  Mineius  :  "  The  subjects  treated  in  this  work 
are  of  various  natures.  In  one  part  are  examined  the 
virtues  of  individual  life  and  of  domestic  relations ;  in 
another  the  order  of  affairs.  Here  are  investigated  the 
duties  of  superiors,  from  the  sovereign  to  the  lowest 
magistrate,  for  the  attainment  of  good  government. 
There  the  toils  of  students,  laborers,  artisans,  traders, 
are  exhibited ;  and  in  the  course  of  the  work  the  laws 
of  the  physical  world,  of  the  heavens  and  the  earth,  the 
mountains  and  rivers,  of  birds,  quadrupeds,  fish,  in- 
sects, plants,  trees,  are  occasionally  described.  A  great 
number  of  affairs  that  Mincius  managed,  in  the  course 


140          JOURNEY  THROUGH   THE   CHINESE   EMPIRE. 

of  his  life,  in  his  intercourse  with  men,  his  occasional 
discourses  with  people  of  rank,  his  instructions  to  his 
pupjLu  his  explanations  of  books,  ancient  and  modern — 
all  these  things  are  incorporated  in  this  publication. 

"It  is  a  collection  of  historical  facts  and  of  the 
words  of  ancient  sages,  uttered  for  the  instruction  of 
mankind." 

M.  Abel  Remusat  has  thus  characterized  the  two 
most  celebrated  philosophers  of  China : 

"The  style  of  Meng-tze,  less  elevated  and  less  con- 
cise than  that  of  the  prince  of  letters,  Confucius,  is  more 
flowery  and  elegant,  and  also  not  deficient  in  nobleness. 
The  form  of  dialogue,  which  he  has  preserved  in  his 
Philosophical  Conversations  with  the  great  persons  of 
his  times,  allows  of  more  variety  than  one  can  expect  to 
find  in  the  apophthegms  and  maxims  of  Confucius. 
The  character  of  their  philosophy  also  differs  widely. 
Confucius  is  always  grave,  even  austere.  He  extols 
the  virtuous,  of  whom  he  draws  an  ideal  portrait,  and 
only  speaks  of  the  vicious  with  cold  indignation.  Meng- 
tze,  with  the  same  love  of  virtue,  seems  to  have  more 
contempt  for  than  hatred  of  vice.  He  attacks  it  by  the 
force  of  reason,  and  does  not  disdain  even  to  employ  the 
weapon  of  ridicule.  His  manner  of  arguing  approaches 
the  irony  attributed  to  Socrates.  He  does  not  contend 
with  his  adversaries ;  but  endeavors,  while  granting  their 
premises,  to  draw  from  them  absurd  consequences,  that 
he  may  cover  them  with  confusion.  He  does  not  even 
spare  the  princes  and  great  men  of  his  time,  who  often 
only  feigned  to  consult  him,  in  order  to  have  an  oppor- 
tunity of  boasting  of  their  conduct,  or  to  obtain  from 
him  eulogiums  that  they  supposed  themselves  to  merit. 
Nothing  can  be  more  piquant  than  the  answers  he  some- 
times gives  them  on  such  occasions,  and  nothing  more 
opposed  to  the  too  generally  entertained  opinion  of  the 


JOURNEY   THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          141 

baseness  and  servility  of  Orientals,  and  especially  of  the 
Chinese. 

"  Meng-tze  does  not  resemble  Aristippus  so  much  as 
Diogenes,  but  without  violating  decency  and  decorum. 
His  liveliness  does  sometimes  appear  of  rather  too  tart 
a  quality,  but  he  is  always  inspired  by  zeal  for  the  pub- 
lic good. 

"  The  pupils  in  Chinese  schools  learn  these  books  at 
first  by  heart,  without  troubling  themselves  with  the 
sense  or  meaning  of  the  author  ;  and  if  they  attach  any 
ideas  to  his  words  they  are  indebted  merely  to  their  own 
sagacity.  It  is  only  when  they  are  capable  of  repeating 
the  whole,  from  one  end  to  the  other,  that  the  master 
sets  to  work,  with  the  assistance  of  innumerable  com- 
mentaries, to  develop  the  text,  word  by  word,  and  give 
the  necessaiy  explanation;  and  the  philosophical  opin- 
ions of  Confucius  and  Meng-tze  are  then  expounded,  in 
a  manner  more  or  less  superficial,  according  to  the  age 
and  capacity  of  the  pupil." 

After  the  four  classical  books,  the  Chinese  study  the 
five  sacred  books,  I£ing,  which  are  the  most  ancient 
monuments  of  Chinese  literature,  and  contain  the  fun- 
damental principles  of  the  earliest  creeds  and  customs. 
The  first  in  date,  the  most  renowned,  but  the  least  in- 
telligible of  these  sacred  books  is  the  Book  of  Changes, 
y-King.  This  is  a  treatise  on  divination,  founded  on 
the  combinations  of  sixty-four  lines  (some  entire,  others 
broken),  and  called  koua,  the  discovery  of  which  is  at- 
tributed to  Fou-hi,  the  founder  of  Chinese  civilization. 
Fou-hi  is  said  to  have  found  these  mysterious  lines, 
which  he  says  are  capable  of  explaining  all  things,  on  the 
shell  of  a  tortoise.  But  Confucius,  whose  capacity  and 
talents  were  so  extraordinary,  studied  these  enigmatical 
koua  very  assiduously,  and  went  through  much  labor  in 
editing  the  y-King,  without  being  able  to  throw  much 


142          JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE   EMPIRE. 

light  upon  the  matter.  After  Confucius,  the  number  of 
writers  who  have  had  the  weakness  to  occupy  themselves 
seriously  with  the  y-King,  is  almost  incredible.  The 
Imperial  Catalogue  enumerates  more  than  1450  treat- 
ises, in  the  form  of  memoirs,  or  commentaries,  upon  this 
famous,  but  whimsical  work. 

The  Chou-king,  or  Book  of  History,  is  the  second 
sacred  book.  Confucius  has  collected  in  this  important 
work  the  historical  recollections  of  the  first  dynasties  of 
China  as  far  as  the  eighth  century  before  our  era.  It 
contains  the  speeches  addressed  by  several  emperors  of 
these  dynasties  to  their  great  officers,  and  furnishes  a 
great  number  of  precious  documents  concerning  the  firs* 
ages  of  the  Chinese  nation. 

The  third  sacred  book  is  the  Che-king,  or  Book  of 
Verses  ;  a  collection,  made  also  by  Confucius,  of  ancient- 
national  and  official  songs,  from  the  eighteenth  to  the 
third  century  before  our  era;  and  there  is  found  ii> 
it  very  interesting  and  authentic  information  on  the  an' 
cient  manners  of  China.  The  Book  of  Verses  is  often 
quoted  and  commented  on  in  the  philosophical  writings 
of  Meng-tze  and  of  Confucius,  who  recommends  it  to  hia 
disciples.  He  says,  in  the  Lun-yu,  "My  dear  disciples, 
why  do  you  not  study  the  Book  of  Verses  ?  The  Book 
of  Verses  is  proper  for  elevating  your  sentiments  and 
ideas  ;  it  is  fitted  for  forming  your  judgment  by  the  con- 
templation of  things ;  it  is  good  for  uniting  men  in  mutual 
harmony,  and  for  exciting  regret  without  resentment." 

The  fourth  sacred  book  is  the  Li-ki,  or  Book  of  Rites. 
The  original  was  lost  in  the  conflagration  of  ancient  books 
ordered  by  the  Emperor  Thsin-che-Hoang,  at  the  end 
of  the  third  century  before  our  era.  The  present  ritual 
is  a  collection  of  fragments  ;  the  most  ancient  of  which 
do  not  appear  to  date  from  an  earlier  epoch  than  that  of 
Confucius. 


JOURNEY   THROUGH   THE   CHINESE   EMPIRE.  143 

Finally,  the  fifth  sacred  book  is  the  Tchun-thsiou,  or 
the  Book  of  Spring  and  Autumn,  written  by  Confucius ; 
and  which  takes  its  name  from  the  two  seasons  of  the 
year  in  which  it  was  commenced  and  finished.  It 
contains  the  annals  of  the  little  kingdom  of  Z/)u,  the 
native  country  of  this  philosopher,  from  the  year  292 
to  480  before  our  era.  Confucius  wrote  it  to  recall 
the  princes  of  his  time  to  respect  for  ancient  customs, 
by  pointing  out  the  misfortunes  that  had  happened  to 
their  predecessors  since  these  customs  had  fallen  into 
desuetude. 

These  five  sacred  and  four  classical  books  are  the  basis 
of  all  science  among  the  Chinese.  What  one  finds  in 
them  is,  it  must  be  confessed,  but  little  suited  to  the 
tastes  or  wants  of  Europeans.  It  would  be  vain  to  seek 
in  them  for  scientific  ideas ;  and,  with  some  truths  of 
great  importance  in  politics  and  morals,  one  is  confound- 
ed by  finding  mingled  the  grossest  errors  and  the  most 
absurd  fables.  Chinese  instruction  nevertheless,  taken 
on  the  whole,  tends  wonderfully  to  create  in  the  mind 
an  attachment  to  ancient  customs,  and  a  profound  respect 
for  authority ;  two  things  which  have  always  been  the 
twin  pillars  of  Chinese  society,  and  which  alone  can 
serve  to  explain  the  duration  of  this  ancient  civiliza- 
tion. We  shall  not  enter  here  into  any  further  details 
concerning  the  education  and  literature  of  the  Chinese, 
since  we  shall  have  to  return  to  the  subject  on  several 
other  occasions. 

We  had  been  about  fifteen  days  at  Tching-tou-fou, 
and,  as  we  were  beginning  to  be  exceedingly  tired  of  it, 
we  managed  to  intimate  to  the  viceroy  our  desire  to 
resume  our  journey.  He  replied  very  graciously,  that 
it  would  give  him  pleasure  if  we  would  prolong  our 
period  of  repose,  but  that  we  were  entirely  free,  and 
might  ourselves  fix  the  day  of  our  departure.  The  Mag- 


Ill  .KM  KNKV    THUUt'GH   THE   CHINESE   EMPIKE. 

istratc  Pao-ngan  did  liis  utmost  to  detain  us,  and  put 
in  operation  all  the  resources  of  his  insinuating  and  pa- 
thetic eloquence,  conjuring  us  to  stay  a  little  longer,  if 
we  would  not  "  rend  his  heart."  We  on  our  side  had  1o 
explain  to  him  the  depth  of  grief  into  which  we  should 
be  plunged,  when  we  should  be  separated  from  him  by 
lakes  and  rivers,  plains  and  mountains.  Nevertheless, 
in  spite  of  this  reciprocal  wish  to  remain  forever  togeth- 
er, it  was  decided  that  we  should  set  off  in  two  days. 
Various  little'  intrigues  immediately  began  ;  all  the  Man- 
darins who  were  at  liberty  set  about  manoeuvring  to 
obtain  the  office  of  our  escort,  and  their  visits  from  that 
moment  succeeded  each  other  without  interruption.  It 
was  a  perfect  avalanche  of  white  and  gilt  balls  which 
fell  all  at  once  into  the  halls  of  The  Hidden  Treasure. 
All  these  candidates  were,  if  you  could  take  their  word 
for  it,  absolutely  perfect  men  ;  they  possessed  in  the 
highest  degree  the  five  cardinal  virtues,  and  were  also 
perfectly  familiar  with  all  the  laws  of  politeness ;  they 
all  understood  how  much  strangers  of  our  importance 
must  have  need  of  care  and  attention,  during  the  toil- 
some journey  we  were  about  to  undertake.  The  coun- 
tries we  were  about  to  traverse  were  well  known  to 
them,  and  we  might  rely  on  their  experience  and  de- 
votion. They  showed  this  eagerness  to  accompany  us, 
merely  because  a  mission  so  glorious  would  render  their 
names  illustrious,  and  their  lives  permanently  happy. 

What  all  these  fine  things  really  meant  was,  that 
there  was  a  little  fortune  to  be  gained  by  him  who 
should  have  the  chance  of  escorting  us.  According  to 
the  benevolent  intentions  of  the  viceroy,  we  were  to 
travel  like  government  officers  of  rank.  In  that  case 
extraordinary  contributions  would  be  levied  on  all  the 
countries  through  which  we  passed,  to  provide  for  our 
expenses  and  those  of  our  escort ;  and  the  gentlemen 


JOUKNEY    THROUGH.   THE   CHINESE  EMPIRE.  145 

who  desired  so  greatly  to  be  our  conductors  thought  to 
profit  by  our  inexperience  in  such  matters,  and  retain 
for  their  own  share  the  greater  part  of  the  funds  that 
would  be  allotted  for  the  purpose  by  the  tribunals  on 
our  road.  There  exist  very  minute  regulations  concern- 
ing these  sorts  of  journeys ;  but  they  thought  we  should 
know  nothing  about  them.  We  took  very  good  care, 
however,  not  to  choose  our  conductors  ourselves  ;  we 
preferred  leaving  the  appointment  to  the  superior  au- 
thorities, reserving  in  this  manner  the  right  of  complain- 
ing if  things  did  not  afterward  turn  out  to  our  satisfac- 
tion. We  should  want,  it  appeared,  two  [Mandarins  ; 
one  of  the  literary  class  who  would  be  the  soul  of  the 
expedition,  and  one  military,  with  fifteen  soldiers,  to  se- 
cure the  tranquillity  and  good  order  of  our  march. 

On  the  evening  before  our  departure,  our  friend  the 
Prefect  of  the  Garden  of  Flowers  paid  us  an  official 
visit,  to  present  the  two  successful  candidates.  The 
literary  candidate,  named  Ting,  was  of  the  middle  size, 
very  thin,  marked  with  the  small-pox,  and  worn  out 
with  the  use  of  opium ;  a  great  talker,  and  exceedingly 
ignorant.  In  our  first  interview  he  was  careful  to  in- 
form us  that  he  was  very  much  devoted  to  Kao-wang, 
a  kind  of  divinity  ot  the  Chinese  pantheon ;  and  that 
he  knew  a  great  number  of  prayers,  and  especially  some 
very  long  litanies,  which  he  was  in  the  habit  of  reciting 
every  day.  We  are  persuaded  that  it  was  with  the  in- 
tention of  being  particularly  agreeable  that  they  favored 
us  with  this  learned  Mandarin  and  his  long  litanies ; 
and  he  was,  it  must  be  confessed,  something  of  a  cu- 
riosity. 

The  military  Mandarin,  for  his  part,  knew  no  prayers 

at  all.     He  was  a  young  man  with  a  broad  face,  and  a 

constitution  naturally  robust,  but  already  suffering  from 

the  effects  of  opium.     His  manners  were  more  polished 

VOL.  I.— G 


146          JOUIiNEY   THROUGH   THE   CHINESE   EM1MUK. 

and  courteous  than  those  of  his  colleague,  and  he  even 
appeared  to  have  made  more  progress  in  literary  culture. 

On  the  day  of  our  departure  we  went  at  a  very  early 
hour  to  pay  our  farewell  visit  to  the  viceroy.  This  re- 
ception was  not  solemn  and  stately  as  on  the  former  oc- 
casion ;  we  had  no  music,  and  there  was  no  assemblage 
of  the  civil  and  military  officers  of  the  town.  We  were 
accompanied  only  by  the  Prefect  of  the  Garden  of 
Flowers,  who  remained  standing  at  the  door  of  the  cab- 
inet in  which  we  were  received. 

The  same  simplicity  appeared  in  the  deportment  of 
the  viceroy.  He  spoke  to  us  with  much  kindness,  and 
was  good  enough  to  enter  into  the  most  minute  details 
on  the  subject  of  the  orders  he  had  given  for  our  treat- 
ment on  the  road ;  and  in  order  that  we  might  be  fully 
aware  of  our  claims,  he  presented  us  with  a  copy  of  the 
regulations  that  our  conductors  were  bound  to  see  ex- 
ecuted. 

During  this  visit  the  viceroy  mentioned  in  confidence 
a  circumstance  that  surprised  us,  and  which  tends  to 
show  that  the  Chinese  are  by  no  means  as  good  mathe- 
maticians and  astronomers  as  they  are  in  Europe  gener- 
ally supposed  to  be.  He  told  us  that  the  government 
would  soon  find  itself  in  great  embarrassment  on  ac- 
count of  the  necessity  of  a  revision  of  the  calendar, 
which  was  now  no  longer  accurate.  We  knew  very 
well  that  the  first  missionaries,  at  the  epoch  of  their  fa- 
vor at  court,  had  been  complaisant  enough  to  correct 
many  grave  errors  that  were  found  to  exist  in  the  Chi- 
nese computation  of  the  lunar  year,  as  well  as  to  make 
for  the  government  a  kind  of  perpetual  calendar  for  a 
considerable  period.  This  period,  however,  was  now 
nearly  over,  and  the  Office  of  Mathematics  at  Pekin  had 
humbly  declared  itself  incapable  of  preparing  another. 

The  viceroy}  who  had  probably  received  particular 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.  147 

instructions  on  the  subject  from  the  Emperor,  asked  us 
whether  there  would  be  no  means  of  engaging  the  mis- 
sionaries to  labor  in  the  reform  of  the  calendar?  We 
replied  that  if  the  Emperor  invited  them  to  do  so,  they 
would  probably  have  no  motive  for  refusing  his  request. 
We  took  this  opportunity,  also,  of  reminding  this  high 
dignitary  of  the  services  formerly  rendered  to  the  Em- 
pire by  the  missionaries,  in  directing  the  works  of  the 
Mathematical  Office,  preparing  maps  of  the  provinces, 
and  of  tributary  countries ;  negotiating  various  treaties 
with  the  Russians  ;  and  in  a  number  of  other  occasions 
in  which  they  showed  as  much  talent  as  devotion  to 
the  Chinese  government.  "How  many  missionaries," 
said  we,  "have  quitted  their  country  to  come  and  de- 
vote themselves  entirely  to  the  Chinese !  And  the  Chi- 
nese, in  what  manner  have  they  rewarded  so  many 
toils,  and  such  great  sacrifices  ?  When  they  thought 
they  no  longer  had  need  of  the  missionaries,  they  drove 
them  ignominiously  from  their  country;  they  put  others 
to  death;  they  seized  on  the  establishments  which  they 
had  erected  at  great  expense;  they  even  outraged,  quite 
recently,  the  tombs  of  those  learned  and  virtuous  per- 
sons who  excited  the  admiration  of  the  celebrated  Em- 
peror Khang-hi." 

When  we  spoke  of  the  recent  profanation  of  these 
tombs,  the  viceroy  appeared  struck  with  astonishment. 
The  French  missionaries  formerly  possessed,  in  the  en- 
virons of  Pekin,  a  magnificent  piece  of  inclosed  ground, 
that  had  been  given  to  them  as  a  burial-place  by  the 
Emperor  Khang-hi.  There  repose  many  of  our  coun- 
trymen, who  died  thus  at  the  distance  of  ten  thousand 
leagues  from  their  country,  after  having  worn  out  their 
lives  in  sufferings  and  privations  in  the  midst  of  a  peo- 
ple who  never  knew  how  to  appreciate  either  their  vir- 
tue or  their  knowledge. 


148          JOU11XEY   TilKOUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

We  visited  this  inclosure,  known  among  the  Chinese 
as  the  French  Burial  Ground,  several  times,  and  could 
never  do  so  without  feeling  our  hearts  beat  as  if  we 
were  about  to  set  foot  once  more  upon  our  native  soil. 
This  is,  in  fact,  French  soil;  it  is  an  affecting  and  pre- 
cious colony,  conquered  in  the  midst  of  the  Chinese 
Empire,  by  our  departed  brethren.  The  site  of  it  is 
one  of  the  finest  to  be  found  in  Pekin.  The  walls  are 
still  in  good  preservation,  but  the  house  and  the  wood- 
work, which  are  in  a  style  half  European  half  Chinese, 
are  greatly  in  need  of  repair.  In  the  middle  of  a  vast 
garden,  now  running  wild,  there  is  a  grove  in  which  the 
tombs  of  the  missionaries  have  been  placed  by  com- 
mand, under  some  lofty  forest  trees ;  but  as  Europeans 
have  now  no  longer  a  legal  existence  in  China,  the 
French  Burial  Ground  was  intrusted  to  the  care  of  a 
Chinese  Christian  family,  since  sent  into  exile  in  conse- 
quence of  a  recent  persecution.  The  establishment  was 
then  sacked  and  pillaged  by  the  robbers  of  Pekin. 

At  present  it  is  in  possession  of  the  government,  and 
the  heathens  lodged  in  it  steal  every  day  whatever  they 
like — the  trees,  the  materials  of  the  chapel,  even  the 
stones  from  the  tombs. 

The  viceroy,  as  we  said,  was  struck  with  astonish- 
ment at  hearing  us  speak  of  the  pillage  of  the  Burial 
Ground,  and  inquired  whether  the  French  government 
had  been  informed  of  it.  "  Possibly  it  may  have  been," 
we  replied;  "but  if  not,  we  will  take  care  to  give  the 
information." 

"And  if  I  write  to  Pekin  on  the  subject,  and  the  Em- 
peror should  give  orders  to.  restore  the  sepulchres,  will 
that  satisfy  the  French  ?" 

"  They  will  doubtless  be  glad  to  learn  that  reparation 
has  been  made  for  the  injury  done  to  the  tombs  of  their 
brothers." 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.  149 

The  viceroy  immediately  called  for  a  pencil,  wrote 
some  words,  and  promised,  as  soon  as  possible,  to  ad- 
dress to  the  Emperor  a  memorial  relative  to  this  affair. 
We  afterward  talked  with  him  a  long  time  about  Euro- 
pean governments,  the  Christian  religion,  and  the  Impe- 
rial decrees  obtained  by  M.  de  Lagrenee.  The  worthy 
old  man  evidently  ffilt  a  good  deal  of  anxiety  concern- 
ing the  Mantchou  dynasty,  and  he  appeared  to  under- 
stand that  an  epoch  had  arrived,  in  which,  whether  they 
would  or  not,  the  Chinese  must  modify  their  ancient 
institutions,  and  enter  into  relations  with  European 
powers.  Thanks  to  steam,  these  are  now  no  longer  at 
so  immense  a  distance  from  the  Celestial  Empire. 

"I  will  go  to  Pekin,"  said  he,  "and  I  will  myself 
speak  to  the  Emperor." 

At  length  the  viceroy  put  an  end  to  the  interview-, 
by  addressing  us  with  the  customary  words,  "I-lou- 
fou-sing"  "  May  the  star  of  happiness  accompany  your 
journey."  We  wished  him  a  long  and  happy  old  age, 
and  left  him  to  return  to  the  house  of  the  magistrate, 
where  we  were  to  meet  the  Mandarins  of  our  escort.* 

We  found  a  numerous  company,  composed  of  persons 
with  whom  we  had  become  acquainted  during  our  stay 
at  Tching-tou-fou  ;  we  sat  down  to  table  and  Pao-ngan 
served  us  up  a  regular  feast  according  to  "  the  Rites." 
Very  soon  the  ceremonious  formalities  of  the  farewell 
began.  They  told  us,  in  all  sorts  of  tones,  and  with 
every  conceivable  variation,  that  during  our  residence 
with  them  they  had  annoyed  us  very  much,  and  ren- 
dered our  lives  extremely  unpleasant.  On  our  sides  we 
declared  that  on  the  contrary  we  had  the  greatest  need 
of  their  indulgence  and  their  pardon,  for  we  had  been 

*  In  1850,  we  went  from  Macao  to  Pekin,  with  the  intention  of  see- 
ing the  viceroy,  whom  the  Emperor  had  summoned  to  remain  near  his 
person.  But,  unfortunately,  he  died  just  a  fortnight  before  our  arrival. 

Some  short  time  afterward  the  Emperor  died  also. 


J50  JOURNEY   THROUGH   THE   CHINESE   E.Ml'lUK. 

most  troublesome  and  exacting  guests.  Every  one  of 
course  knew  the  value  of  this  strange  phraseology  con- 
secrated by  custom,  and  which  does  sometimes  happen 
to  be  a  very  naive  expression  of  the  truth.  At  last  we 
entered  our  palanquins,  and  the  procession,  preceded  by 
twelve  soldiers  armed  with  rattans,  opened  for  us  a 
passage  through  a  dense  throng  of  curious  spectators. 
All  were  desirous  of  getting  a  glimpse  of  these  famous 
"Western  Devils,"  who  had  so  strangely  become  the 
friends  of  the  viceroy  and  the  Emperor;  and  of  this 
fact  no  one  could  doubt,  since  instead  of  strangling  us, 
they  allowed  us  to  wear  the  yellow  cap  and  the  red 
ffirdlc. 


CHAPTER    IV. 

Departure  from  Tching-tou-fou — Letter  thrown  into  our  Palanquin,  at 
the  Gate  of  the  Town — Christianity  in  China — Its  Introduction  in 
the  fifth  and  sixth  Centuries — Monument  and  Inscription  at  Si-ngan- 
fou — Progress  of  Christianity  in  the  fourteenth  Century — Arrival  of 
the  Portuguese  in  China — Macao — Father  Mathew  Eicci — Depart- 
ure of  the  first  Chinese  Missionaries — Prosperity  of  the  Religion 
under  the  Emperor  Khang-hi  —  Persecution  under  the  Emperor 
Young-tching — Abandonment  of  the  Missions — Numerous  Depart- 
ures of  the  new  Missionaries — Glance  at  the  Present  State  of  Chris- 
tianity in  China — Motives  of  Hostility  in  the  Government  toward 
Christians — Indifferentism  of  the  Chinese  in  matters  of  Religion — 
Honors  paid  to  us  on  our  Road — Halt  at  a  Communal  Palace — Trick- 
ery on  the  part  of  Master  Ting — Navigation  of  the  Blue  River — Ar- 
rival at  Kien-tcheou. 

As  we  reached  the  southern  gate  of  the  town,  we  re- 
marked among  the  mass  of  people  assembled  there  a 
great  number  of  Christians.  They  made  the  sign  of 
the  cross  to  enable  us  to  recognize  them,  and  also  to 
afford  us,  as  well  as  they  could,  an  expression  of  sym- 
pathy. Their  countenances  showed  satisfaction  and 
confidence ;  for,  they  had  doubtless  imagined  they  saw 
in  the  attentions  that  had  been  lavished  on  us  by  the 
viceroy  and  the  first  magistrates  of  the  town,  the  pre- 
cursory signs  of  the  religious  liberty,  the  hope  of  which 
had  shone  for  a  moment  on  their  path. 

Perhaps,  also,  they  might  hope  that  information  af- 
forded vivd  voce  to  the  representatives  of  France,  con- 
cerning the  nullity  of  the  Imperial  Edicts,  would  draw 
forth  a  protest  that  might  force  back  the  Chinese  gov- 
ernment into  the  path  of  justice  and  moderation.  If 
such  were  indeed  their  hopes  on  witnessing  our  depart- 
ure for  Macao,  they  must  have  been  sadly  disappointed; 


152        JOURNEY  THROUGH   THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

for  their  situation,  instead  of  improving,  became  aggra- 
vated from  day  to  day. 

Ajt  the  moment  when  we  were  passing  through  the 
last  gate,  one  of  us  caught  in  his  palanquin  a  letter, 
furtively  flung  in  by  a  Christian  who  kept  himself 
crouched  in  a  corner ;  it  was  from  M.  Perocheau,  Bishop 
of  Maxula,  and  vicar  apostolic  of  the  province  of  Sse- 
tchouen.  This  zealous  and  learned  prelate  spoke  to  us 
of  numerous  local  persecutions,  which  were  still  deso- 
lating his  vicariate,  and  begged  us  to  remind  the  Man- 
darins we  might  meet  with  on  the  road,  of  the  promises 
made  by  the  Emperor  with  respect  to  the  Christians  of 
his  Empire. 

Our  resolution  was  already  taken  in  that  matter,  and 
the  recommendation  of  the  venerable  elder  of  the  Chi- 
nese Bishops  could  only  confirm  us  the  more  in  it.  But 
unfortunately  our  efforts  had  a  very  small  effect. 

The  Chinese  Christian  communities  r.re  still,  as  they 
were  before,  at  the  mercy  of  the  Mandarins ;  and  they 
have  now,  also,  to  dread  the  fanaticism  and  barbarity 
of  the  insurgents.  All  seems  to  indicate  that  the  mis- 
sionaries will  long  have  to  sow  the  divine  seed  in  tears 
and  sorrow.  Truly  lamentable  is  this  obstinacy  of  the 
Chinese  people,  in  rejecting,  disdainfully,  the  treasure 
of  faith,  that  Europe  has  never  ceased  to  offer  with  so 
much  zeal,  devotion,  and  perseverance.  No  other  na- 
tion has  excited  such  lively  solicitude  on  the  part  of  the 
Church  ;  no  sacrifice  has  been  spared  for  its  sake ;  and 
yet  it  is  the  one,  of  all,  that  has  proved  most  rebellious. 

The  soil  lias  been  prepared  and  turned  in  all  direc- 
tions with  patience  and  intelligence ;  it  has  been  watered 
by  sweat  and  tears,  and  enriched  with  the  blood  of  mar- 
tyrs ;  the  evangelical  seed  has  been  sown  in  it  with 
profusion ;  the  Christian  world  has  poured  forth  prayers, 
to  draw  upon  it  the  blessing  of  Heaven ;  and  yet  it  is 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          153 

still  as  sterile  as  ever,  and  the  time  of  the  harvest  is  not 
yet  come :  for  one  can  not  give  the  name  of  harvest  to 
a  few  scattered  ears,  springing  up  here  and  there,  and 
gathered  in  haste,  lest  they  should  fall  at  the  first  breath 
of  the  storm.  It  would  not  be  impossible,  perhaps,  to 
point  out  the  principal  causes  which  hinder  the  propaga- 
tion of  the  Gospel  in  China;  but  it  will  be  better  to 
give,  first,  a  rapid  sketch  of  the  various  attempts  that 
have  been  made,  at  different  epochs,  to  Christianize  this 
vast  Empire. 

The  first  efforts  to  throw  the  light  of  faith  on  the  cen- 
tral and  eastern  parts  of  Asia  were  made  at  a  very  re- 
mote period. 

Already,  as  early  as  the  fifth  and  sixth  centuries,  we 
discover  traces  of  the  first  missionaries  who  traveled  by 
land  from  Constantinople  to  what  they  called  the  King- 
dom of  Cathay ;  for  it  was  under  this  name  that  China 
was  first  known  in  the  West. 

These  apostles  wandered  on  foot,  their  staves  in  their 
hands,  over  mountains,  along  banks  of  rivers,  through 
forests  and  deserts,  amidst  privations  and  sufferings  of 
every  kind,  to  carry  the  tidings  of  salvation  to  nations 
unknown  to  the  rest  of  the  world.  For  a  long  time  it 
was  supposed  that  the  Gospel  was  not  preached  in  China 
till  a  comparatively  recent  period — the  time  when  the 
celebrated  and  courageous  Mathew  Bicci  penetrated  into 
the  Empire  in  the  latter  half  of  the  sixteenth  century. 
But  the  discovery  of  the  monument  and  inscription  at 
Si-ngan-fou,*  the  former  capital  of  China,  proves  incon- 
testably  that  in  the  year  635,  the  Christian  religion  was 
known  and  even  flourishing  there.  This  inscription 
speaks  of  numerous  churches  which  owed  their  erection 
to  the  piety  of  the 'Emperors,  and  of  magnificent  titles 

*  A  magnificent  fac-simile  of  this  celebrated  inscription  may  be  seen 
in  the  Imperial  Library  at  Paris. 


154          JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMIMUK. 

bestowed  on  the  priest,  Olopen,*  who  is  designated  as 
the  Sovereign  Guardian  of  the  Kingdom  of  the  Great 
Law ;  that  is  to  say,  Primate  of  the  Christian  religion. 
In  712,  the  Bonzes  excited  a  persecution  against  the 
Christians,  who,  however,  after  some  transitory  trials, 
were  again  triumphant.  "Then,"  according  to  the  in- 
scription, "  the  religion  that  had  been  oppressed  for 
some  time,  began  again  to  raise  its  head.  The  stone 
of  doctrine  that  had  been  for  a  moment  thrown  off  its 
balance,  recovered  itself.  In  the  year  744,  there  was  a 
priest  of  the  kingdom  of  Ta-thsinf  who  came  to  China 
to  salute  the  Emperor;  he  ordered  this  priest  Sohan, 
and  six  others,  with  the  one  sent  from  Ta-thsin,  to  offer 
Christian  sacrifices  in  the  palace  of  Him-kim.  Then 
the  Emperor  ordered  them  to  suspend  over  the  door  of 
the  church  an  inscription  written  with  his  own  hand. 
This  august  tablet  shone  with  a  vivid  splendor ;  and 
that  is  why  all  the  earth  conceived  a  great  respect  for 
religion.  All  affairs  were  perfectly  well  managed,  and 
felicity,  arising  from  religion,  was  profitable  to  the  human 
race.  Every  year  the  Emperor  Tai-tsoung,  on  the  day 
of  the  Nativity  of  Jesus  Christ,  presented  to  the  Church 
•celestial  perfumes ;  and  he  distributed  Imperial  viands 
to  the  Christian  multitude,  to  render  the  day  more  re- 
markable and  celebrated.  The  priest,  Y-sou,  a  great 
benefactor  of  the  religion,  and,  at  the  same  time,  a  great 
person  at  court,  lieutenant  of  the  Viceroy  of  So-fan,  and 
Inspector  of  the  palace,  to  whom  the  Emperor  has  pre- 
sented a  religious  habit  of  sky  blue,  is  a  man  of  gentle 
manners  and  mind,  inclined  to  all  sorts  of  good.  As 
soon  as  he  had  received  into  his  heart  the  true  doctrine, 
he  began  to  put  it  in  practice.  He  came  to  China  from 

*  There  is  every  reason  to  believe  that  Olopen  was  a  Syrian, 
t  The  Itomau  Empire  was  thus  designated  by  the  Chinese  of  this 
e];och. 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          155 

a  distant  country,  and  he  surpasses  in  industry  all  those 
\vlio  flourished  under  the  three  first  dynasties  ;  he  under- 
stands perfectly  the  sciences  and  arts.  In  the  begin- 
ning, when  he  labored  at  court,  he  rendered  excellent 
services  to  the  state,  and  acquired,  in  a  high  degree,  the 
esteem  of  the  Emperor." 

"This  stone,"  concludes  the  inscription,  "was  pre- 
pared and  raised  in  the  second  year  of  the  reign  of  Tai- 
tsoung"  (A.  D.  781).  "At  that  time  the  priest  Niu-chou, 
Lord  of  the  Law"  (that  is  to  say,  Pontiff  of  the  religion), 
"governed  the  whole  body  of  Christians  in  the  Oriental 
countries.  Liou-siou-yen,  counselor  of  the  palace,  and 
formerly  Member  of  the  Council  of  War,  wrote  this  in- 
scription." 

This  precious  monument,  of  which  Voltaire  had  the 
audacity,  or  rather  the  bad  faith,  to  dispute  the  authen- 
ticity, speaks  also  of  a  person  celebrated  in  China  named 
Kouo-tze-y.  He  was  the  most  illustrious  man  of  the 
Tang  dynasty,  either  in  peace  or  war ;  and  several 
times  replaced  on  the  throne  Emperors  who  had  been 
driven  from  it  by  foreigners  and  rebels.  He  lived  to 
be  eighty-four  years  of  age,  and  died  in  781,  the  same 
year  when  this  monument  was  erected.  His  name  has 
remained  popular  in  China  to  the  present  time :  he  is 
often  chosen  as  the  hero  of  dramatic  pieces,  and  we  have 
heard  his  name  pronounced  with  respect  in  assemblies 
of  Mandarins. 

There  is  every  reason  to  think  that  this  man  was  a 
Christian  ;  this  is  what  is  said  of  him  on  the  monument 
of  Si-ngan-fou : 

"Kouo-tze-y,  the  first  president  of  the  ministerial 
court,  and  king  of  the  city  of  Fen-yen,  was  in  the  be- 
ginning generalissimo  of  the  armies  of  So-fan,  that  is 
to  say,  in  the  Northern  countries.  The  Emperor  Sou- 
tsoung  associated  him  with  himself  for  his  companion 


l.M,          JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

in  a  long  march;  but  although,  by  singular  favor,  he 
was  admitted  familiarly  even  into  the  Emperor's  cham- 
ber, he  was  never  more  in  his  own  eyes  than  a  simple 
soldier.  He  was  the  nails  and  the  teeth  of  the  Empire, 
the  ears  and  the  eyes  of  the  army ;  he  distributed  among 
them  the  pay  and  the  presents  that  he  received  from  the 
Emperor,  and  never  accumulated  any  thing  in  his  own 
house.  He  kept  the  ancient  churches  in  repair,  or  he 
enlarged  them,  raised  their  roofs  and  their  porticoes  to 
a  greater  height,  and  embellished  them  in  such  a  man- 
ner that  their  edifices  were  like  pheasants  spreading 
their  wings  to  fly. 

"  Besides  that,  he  served  in  every  manner  the  Chris- 
tian religion ;  he  was  assiduous  in  the  exercise  of  char- 
ity, and  lavish  in  the  distribution  of  alms.  Every  year 
he  assembled  the  priests  and  the  Christians  of  the  four 
Churches ;  he  entertained  them  zealously  with  suitable 
viands,  and  continued  these  liberalities  for  fifty  days  in 
succession.  Those  who  were  hungry  came  to  him,  and 
he  fed  them.  He  took  care  of  the  sick,  and  restored 
them  to  health ;  he  buried  the  dead,  and  put  them  to 
rest.  It  has  not  been  heard,  up  to  the  present  time, 
that  the  virtue  of  any  one  shone  so  brightly,  even  in  the 
Tlia-so,  those  men  who  devote  themselves  so  religiously 
to  good  works." 

The  whole  life  of  Kouo-tzc-y  appears  to  have  been  ad- 
mirable, and  offers  details  of  the  greatest  interest.  We 
regret  that  the  limits  we  are  obliged  to  prescribe  to  our- 
selves, do  not  permit  us  to  give  here  the  biography  of 
this  illustrious  Chinese  Christian  of  the  8th  century; 
but  we  can  not  resist  quoting  the  magnificent  eulogium 
that  a  Chinese  historian  has  passed  upon  him.  "  This 
great  man,"  he  says,  "  died  in  the  eighty-fifth  year  of 
his  age.  He  was  protected  by  Heaven  on  account  of 
his  virtues ;  he  was  beloved  by  men  on  account  of  his 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.  157 

beautiful  qualities  ;  he  was  feared  by  the  enemies  of  the 
state  on  account  of  his  valor ;  he  was  respected  by  the 
subjects  within  the  Empire  on  account  of  his  incorrupt- 
ible integrity,  his  justice,  and  mildness;  he  was  the 
support,  the  counselor,  the  soul  of  his  sovereigns ;  he 
was  loaded  with  riches  and  honors  during  the  course  of 
his  long  life ;  he  was  universally  regretted  at  his  death, 
and  he  left  behind  him  a  numerous  posterity,  the  heirs 
of  his  glory  and  his  merits,  as  well^as  of  his  fortune  and 
his  name.  The  whole  Empire  put  on  mourning  at  his 
death — and  this  mourning  was  the  same  as  that  worn 
by  children  for  the  death  of  those  from  whom  they  have 
received  life :  it  lasted  three  whole  years." 

There  is  no  doubt,  then,  that  the  Christian  religion 
was  flourishing  in  China  in  the  8th  century,  since  it 
contained  within  its  bosom  such  men  as  Kouo-tze-y ; 
but  it  is  probable,  nevertheless,  that  the  faithful  had 
many  contests  to  sustain  with  the  Bonzes,  and  also  with 
the  Nestorians,  who,  at  this  epoch,  were  scattered  in 
great  numbers  all  over  the  regions  of  high  Asia. 

It  is  well  known  that  toward  the  beginning  of  the 
9th  century,  Timotheus,  Patriarch  of  the  Nestorians, 
sent  some  monks  to  preach  the  Gospel  among  the  Tartars 
of  Hioung-nou,  who  had  taken  refuge  on  the  borders 
of  the  Caspian  Sea,  and  subsequently  these  monks  pene- 
trated into  Central  Asia,  and  as  far  as  China.  The 
torch  of  faith  grew  pale  afterward,  no  doubt,  even  if 
it  were  not  entirely  extinguished,  in  those  distant  coun- 
tries, but  it  revived  in  the  most  brilliant  manner  in 
the  13th  and  14th  centuries,  the  epoch  in  which  the 
communications  between  the  East  and  the  West  became 
more  frequent  on  account  of  the  crusades,  and  of  the 
invasions  of  the  Tartars — gigantic  events,  whose  effect 
was  to  unite  and  mingle  together  all  the  nations  of  the 
earth. 


158          JOURNEY  THROUGH   THE  CHINESE  EMIMKE. 

The  Church  did  not  fail  to  take  advantage  of  these 
great  political  convulsions,  to  forward  her  pacific  and 
holy  work,  the  propagation  of  the  faith.  From  the  time 
of  Tchingis-khan  and  his  successors,  missionaries  were 
sent  to  Tartary  and  China.  They  carried  with  them 
ornaments  of  the  church — altars  and  relics,  "to  see," 
says  Joinville,  "if  they  could  attract  these  people  to 
our  faith."  They  celebrated  the  ceremonies  of  religion 
before  the  Tartar  princes,  who  granted  them  an  asylum 
in  their  tents,  and  permitted  them  to  raise  chapels,  even 
Avithin  the  inclosures  of  their  palaces.  Two  of  these, 
Plan-Carpin  and  Rubruk,  have  left  us  curious  accounts 
of  these  travels. 

Plan-Carpin  was  sent,  in  1246,  to  the  great  Khan  of 
the  Tartars,  by  Pope  Innocent  the  Fourth ;  he  crossed 
the  Tanais  and  the  Volga,  passed  to  the  north  of  the 
Caspian  Sea,  followed  the  northern  frontiers  of  the  re- 
gions that  occupy  the  centre  of  Asia,  and  took  his  course 
toward  the  country  of  the  Mongols,  where  a  grandson 
of  Tchingis-khan  had  just  been  proclaimed  sovereign. 
About  the  same  time,  the  monk  Rubruk,  charged  by 
St.  Louis  with  a  mission  to  the  Western  Tartars,  fol- 
lowed nearly  the  same  route. 

At  Khara-Khoroum,  the  capital  of  the  Mongols,  he 
saw,  not  far  from  the  palace  of  the  sovereign,  an  edifice 
upon  which  was  a  little  cross:  "Then,"  says  he,  "I 
was  at  the  height  of  joy,  and  supposing  that  there 
must  be  some  Christians  there,  I  entered,  and  found 
an  altar  magnificently  adorned.  There  were  represent- 
ations of  the  Saviour,  the  Holy  Virgin,  and  of  John 
the  Baptist,  on  cloths  embroidered  with  gold,  and  two 
angels,  of  which  the  body  and  the  vestments  were  en- 
riched with  precious  stones.  There  was  a  large  silver 
cross,  with  pearls  and  other  ornaments  in  the  centre, 
and  at  the  corners  ;  and  a  lamp  with  eight  jets  of  light 


JOURNEY  THROUGH   THE   CHINESE  EMPIRE.  159 

burned  before  the  altar.  In  the  sanctuary  was  seated 
an  Armenian  monk  of  a  swarthy  complexion,  very  thin, 
wearing  nothing  but  a  coarse  tunic,  reaching  only  down 
to  the  middle  of  his  leg,  and  a  black  mantle  fastened 
with  iron  clasps."*  Rubrak  relates,  that  there  were  in 
these  countries  a  great  number  of  JSTestorians  and  Greek 
Catholics,  who  celebrated  the  Christian  festivals  with 
perfect  freedom.  Princes  and  Emperors  even  received 
baptism,  and  protected  the  propagators  of  the  faith. 

At  the  beginning-  of  the  14th  century,  Pope  Clement 
the  Fifthf  instituted  an  archbishopric  at  Pekin,  in  fa- 
vor of  Jean  de  Montcorvin,  a  French  missionary,  who 
preached  the  Gospel  in  these  countries  for  forty-two 
years,  and  when  he  died  left  a  very  flourishing  Christian 
community. 

An  archbishopric  at  Pekin,  with  four  suffragans  in 
the  neighboring  countries :  surely  these  afford  sufficient 
proof  that  there  were  at  this  period  a  great  number  of 
Christians  in  China. 

These  communications,  however,  were  interrupted, 
and  by  degrees  Cathay  and  Zipangri,|  whose  wonders 
so  much  excited  the  imaginations  of  the  Western  na- 
tions, at  the  time  when  the  curious  narratives  of  the 
noble  Venetian,  Marco  Polo,  made  their  appearance, 
were  entirely  lost  sight  of  by  them. 

The  very   existence   of  these   empires  began  to  be 

*  Tune  gavisus  sum  rnultmn,  supponens  quod  ibi  esset  allqidd  Christian- 
itatis.  Ingressus  conjidenter,  inveni  altare  paratum  vere  pulchre.  Erat  enim 
in  panno  aureo  brosdate  ymago  Salvatoris  et  beate  Virginis,  et  Johannis 
Baptiste  et  duorum  angelorum,  Uneamentis  corporis  et  vestimentorum  dis- 
tinctis  margaritis,  crux  mayna  argentea  habens  gemmas  in  angulis  et  in  media 
sui,  ct  alia  philateria  multa,  et  lucerna  cum  oleo  ardens  ante  altare,  habens 
octo  lumina  ;  et  sedebat  ibi  unus  monachus  Armenus  nigellus,  macilentus,  in- 
dtitus  tunica  asperimma  usque  medias  tibias,  habens  desuper  pallium  nigrum, 
de  seta  fur  ratum,  vario  ligatus  ferro  sub  cilicio.  (Recueil  de  Voyages  et 
de  Me'moires  public  par  la  Societe  de  Geographic,  torn.  iv.  p.  301.) 

t  The  tomb  of  this  celebrated  Pope  is  to  be  seen  in  the  cathedral 
of  Avignon.  J  China  and  Japan. 


160  JOUKNEY   THROUGH   THE   CHINESE   EMl'lKK. 

doubted;  and  the  accounts  of  the  famous  traveler, 
whose  faithfulness  and  simple  sincerity  are  now  fully 
admitted,  were  regarded  as  mere  fables. 

The  discovery  of  China  had  to  be  made  over  again, 
and  this  glory  belongs  to  the  Portuguese.  These  bold 
navigators,  having  reached  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope, 
doubled  it,  and  reached  the  Indies  by  a  route  that  no 
vessel  had  followed  before.  In  1517,  the  Viceroy  of 
Goa  dispatched  to  Canton  eight  vessels  under  the  com- 
mand of  Fernand 1  d'Andrada,  who  received  the  title  of 
Embassador.  D'Andrada,  who^was  of  a  soft  and  pliant 
character,  managed  to  gain  the  friendship  of  the  Vice- 
roy of  Canton,  and  made  an  advantageous  treaty  of 
commerce  with  him,  the  commencement  of  the  relations 
of  China  with  Europe.  Subsequently,  the  Portuguese 
rendered  the  Chinese  a  signal  service  by  capturing  a  fa- 
mous pirate,  who  had  long  ravaged  their  coasts ;  and 
in  gratitude  for  this  service  the  Emperor  permitted  the 
Portuguese  to  establish  themselves  on  a  peninsula  formed 
by  some  sterile  rocks.  On  this  spot  arose  the  city  of 
Macao,  long  the  sole  mart  of  the  commerce  of  Europeans 
with  the  Celestial  Empire.  At  present  Macao  is  a  mere 
remembrance ;  the  English  establishment  at  Hong-Kong 
has  given  it  the  mortal  blow,  and  nothing  is  left  of  its 
former  prosperity  but  fine  houses  without  tenants ;  in  a 
few  years  more,  perhaps,  the  European  ships,  as  they 
sail  past  this  once  proud  and  wealthy  Portuguese  colo- 
ny, will  see  only  a  naked  rock  to  which  the  Chinese  fish- 
erman will  come  to  dry  his  black  nets.  Missionaries, 
however,  will  still  like  to  visit  these  ruins,  for  the  name 
of  Macao  will  be  always  celebrated  in  the  history  of  the 
propagation  of  the  faith;  there,  during  many  centuries, 
were  formed,  as  in  a  cenacle,  the  apostles  who  afterward 
went  to  carry  the  glad  tidings  of  the  Gospel  to  China, 
Japan,  Tartary,  the  Corea,  Cochin  China,  and  Tonquin. 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE   CHINESE   EMPIRE.  161 

While  the  Portuguese  were  laboring  to  develop  the 
importance  of  their  colony  of  Macao,  St.  Francis  de 
Xavier  was  preaching  at  Japan,  which  the  .Chinese 
merchants  of  Ning-po  annually  visited,  in  their  great 
trading  junks. 

It  was  probably  from  them  that  he  learned  those  par- 
ticulars concerning  China,  which  he  wrote  to  Europe 
toward  the  end  of  his  life.  Having  formed  the  project 
of  carrying  the  faith  into  this  vast  empire,  he  embarked 
for  it,  but  he  had  not  yet  set  foot  on  the  land  he  had  so 
long  sighed  after,  when  he  was  overtaken  by  death  on  a 
little  island  near  the  Chinese  coast. 

Other  Apostolic  men,  however,  took  up  his  idea,  and 
heirs  of  his  zeal  for  the  glory  of  God  threw  themselves 
into  the  path  he  had  pointed  out.  The  first,  and  most 
celebrated,  was  Father  Mathew  Ricci,  who  entered  China 
toward  the  end  of  the  16th  century. 

Religious  ideas  do  not,  it  must  be  owned,  strike  very 
deep  root  in  this  country,  and  the  seeds  of  the  Christian 
faith,  cast  into  it  in  the  earlier'  ages,  appear  to  have 
entirely  perished.  With  the  exception  of  the  above- 
mentioned  inscription  at  Si-ngan,  no  trace  of  the  pas- 
sage of  former  missionaries,  or  of  their  preaching,  was 
then  to  be  found.  Not  even  in  the  traditions  of  the 
country  was  preserved  the  slightest  trace  of  the  religion 
of  Jesus  Christ.  A  melancholy  trait  is  it  in  the  charac- 
ter of  this  people,  that  Christian  truth  does  but  glide 
over  its  surface ! 

All  was  now  to  begin  again ;  but  Father  Ricci  pos- 
sessed all  the  necessary  qualifications  for  this  great  and 
difficult  enterprise.  "  A  zeal  courageous  and  indefatig- 
able, but  wise,  patient,  circumspect — slow,  that  it  might 
be  more  efficacious,  and  timid  in  order  to  dare  the  more ; 
such  should  have  been  the  character  of  him  whom  God 
had  destined  to  be  the  Apostle  of  a  nation,  refined,  sus- 


162          JuriJNKY   THUOUGII  THE   CII1NKSK   KMI'IKF.. 

picious,  and  naturally  hostile  to  all  that  docs  not  arise 
within  itself.  A  character  so  truly  magnanimous  was 
needed  to  begin  over  again  a  work  so  often  destroyed, 
'to  know  how  to  profit  by  the  smallest  resources ;  his 
superior  genius,  and  his  rare  and  profound  knowledge, 
were  needed  to  render  him  respected  by  people  accus- 
tomed to  respect  nothing  but  themselves,  and  to  teach  a 
new  law  to  those  who  had  not  hitherto  supposed  that  any 
one  could  teach  them  any  thing;  and  his  modesty  and 
humility  were  also  required,  to  soften  to  this  proud  peo- 
ple the  yoke  of  a  superiority  of  mind,  which  is  only  vol- 
untarily submitted  to  when  it  is  not  perceived.  Most 
of  all  was  required  the  great  virtue,  and  the  continual 
union  with  God,  that  distinguished  this  apostolic  man, 
to  render  supportable  to  himself,  by  the  imvard  grace  of 
the  spirit,  the  toils  of  so  painful  a  life  as  that  which  he 
led  in  China,  compared  with  which  one  may  consider 
that  the  longest  martyrdom  would  have  spared  him  niany 
sufferings."* 

After  more  than  twenty  years  of  labor  and  patience, 
Father  Ricci  had  reaped  only  cruel  persecutions  and 
sterile  applause-;  but  after  he  had  been  received  favor- 
ably at  court,  the  conversions  became  numerous,  and 
Catholic  churches  arose  in  many  places.  Father  Ricci 
died  in  1610,  at  the  age  of  fifty-eight ;  and  he  had'  the 
consolation  to  leave  his  mission  at  last  in  a  flourishing 
state,  as  well  as  missionaries  animated  with  his  own  zeal, 
who  like  him,  calling  the  arts  and  sciences  to  the  aid  of 
their  ministry,  continued  to  rouse  the  curiosity  of  the 
Chinese  in  order  to  dispose  them  favorably  toward  the 
object  they  had  in  view. 

The  most  illustrious  among  them  were  tiro  Fathers 
Adam  Schal  and  Verbiest.  It  is  to  the  latter  that  the 
are  indebted  for  their  entrance  into  China;  it 

*  Preface  to  the  Lett  res  AlijiantMS,  t.  iii.  p.  5. 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE   EMPIRE.  1G3 

was  he  who  sent  for  them  to  Pekin,  and  induced  the 
Emperor  to  receive  them  and  treat  them  with  distinc- 
tion. 

In  1684,  an  idea  of  sending  missionaries  to  China 
began  to  be  entertained  in  France  for  the  first  time. 
The  Hoyal  Academy  of  Sciences  was  then  working,  by 
order  of  the  king,  at  the  reform  of  their  geography. 
They  had  sent  members  of  their  illustrious  body  into 
all  the  French  ports  of  the  ocean  and  the  Mediterranean, 
as  well  as  into  England,  Denmark,  Africa,  and  America, 
to  make  the  necessary  observations.  But  they  were 
much  more  perplexed  when  it  came  to  sending  persons 
to  India  and  China.  Academicians,  it  was  thought, 
would  run  the  risk  of  not  being  well  received  in  those 
countries — and  of  giving  offense.  The  Royal  Academy 
began,  therefore,  to  think  of  the  Jesuits.  Colbert  had 
an  interview  on  the  subject  with  Father  de  Fontaney 
and  M.  Gassini.  The  death  of  the  great  Colbert  frus- 
trated the  project  for  some  time ;  but  it  was  resumed 
afterward  by  his  successor  M.  le  Marquis  de  Louvois. 
Six  missionaries — the  Fathers  De  Fontaney,  Tachard, 
Gerbillon,  Le  Comte,  De  Visdelou,  and  Bouvet — em- 
barked at  Brest  on  the  3d  of  March,  1685,  and  landed 
at  Ning-po  on  the  23d  of  July,  1687.  Thence  they  re- 
paired to  Pekin,  where  they  had  soon  gained  the  esteem 
and  admiration  of  all  classes  of  the  people  by  their  vir- 
tue, their  learning,  and  their  apostolic  zeal.  They  got 
so  completely  into  the  good  graces  of  the  Emperor,  that 
he  gave  them  a  house  even  within  the  limits  of  the  Yel- 
low City,  and  quite  near  to  his  own  palace,  in  order  to 
be  able  to  converse  with  them  more  easily.  A  short 
time  afterward  he  also  assigned  to  them  a  large  space 
for  the  construction  of  a  church ;  he  contributed  with 
much  liberality  toward  the  expenses  of  the  erection,  and 
in  order  to  afford  the  French  missionaries  a  striking 


164  JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

proof  of  his  devotion,  he  chose  himself  to  compose  the 
Chinese  inscription  in  honor  of  the  true  God,  that  was 
to  be  placed  on  the  front  of  it. 

The  Emperor  Khang-hi  declared  himself  openly  as 
the  protector  of  the  neAV  religion ;  influenced  by  his  ex- 
ample, the  princes  and  great  dignitaries  showed  themx 
selves  favorable  to  it,  and  the  number  of  neophytes 
increased,  considerably  not  only  in  the  capital,  but  also 
throughout  the  extent  of  the  Empire.  The  missionaries 
who  were  scattered  about  the  provinces,  profiting  by 
the  good  disposition  of  the  head  of  the  State,  redoubled 
their  ardor  in  preaching  of  the  Gospel,  and  in  a  short 
time  there  arose  in  every  quarter,  churches,  chapels, 
oratories,  and  flourishing  Christian  communities.  The 
Chinese  no  longer  feared  that  by  receiving  baptism  they 
should  incur  disgrace  and  the  persecutions  of  the  Man- 
darins. The  Christians  held  up  their  heads  and  showed 
themselves  proud  of  their  religion ;  perhaps  they  did  so 
a  little  too  much,  for  it  is  common  with  men  who  are 
pusillanimous  and  cowardly  in  times  of  trial,  to  become 
arrogant  in  a  period  of  prosperity.  It  was  to  be  feared, 
however,  that  this  success,  based  in  some  measure  on 
the  Imperial  favor,  would  not  be  of  very  long  duration : 
and  thus  it  proved. 

The  unfortunate  disputes  of  the  missionaries  on  the 
subject  of  the  rights  practiced  in  honor  of  Confucius  and 
of  ancestors,  tended  greatly  to  cool  the  friendship  of  the 
Emperor  Khang-hi,  and  to  excite  his  anger.  At  his 
death  a  violent  reaction  took  place ;  his  successor  Young- 
tching  let  loose  against  the  Christians  the  hatred  and 
jealousy  that  had  been  held  in  check  during  the  pre- 
ceding reign.  The  celebrated  father  Gaubil*  arrived  in 
China  during  this  melancholy  period,  and  he  wrote  thus 

*  Father  Gaubil,  born  at  Gaillac  (Tarn),  was  the  most  illustrious 
missionary  of  the  period  in  China. 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          165 

concerning  it  (in  1722)  to  the  Archbishop  of  Toulouse, 
Monsieur  de  Normond : 

"  I  have  only  been  a  few  months  in  China,  and  I  was 
much  grieved  when  I  came,  to  find  a  mission  which  only 
a  short  time  ago  held  out  such  encouraging  hopes,  re- 
duced to  so  melancholy  a  condition.  The  churches  are 
in  ruins,  the  Christians  dispersed,  the  missionaries  ex- 
iled and  confined  in  Canton — the  first  port  in  China, 
without  being  permitted  to  advance  further  into  the 
Empire ;  the  religion  itself  is  on  the  point  of  being  pro- 
scribed. This,  my  lord,  is  the  mournful  sight  that  met 
my  eyes  at  my  entrance  into  a  country  supposed  to  be 
so  favorably  disposed  for  receiving  the  Gospel."  The 
mournful  predictions  of  Father  Gaubil  were  not  long  in 
being  realized.  Two  years  afterward  Father  de  JVIailla 
wrote  to  France,  to  one  of  his  colleagues :  "  How  can 
we  write  to  you  in  the  overwhelming  position  in  which 
we  find  ourselves,  and  how  can  we  make  known  to  you 
the  particulars  of  the  melancholy  scenes  that  are  pass- 
ing before  our  eyes  ?  What  we  have  been  dreading  for 
so  many  years — what  we  had  so  often  predicted — has 
at  last  come  to  pass.  Our  holy  religion  is  entirely  pro- 
scribed in  China;  all  the  missionaries,  with  the  excep- 
tkfn  of  those  who  were  at  Pekin,*  have  been  driven  from 
the  Empire ;  the  churches  are  demolished  or  put  to  pro- 
fane uses  ;  edicts  have  been  issued,  in  which  the  se- 
verest penalties  are  threatened  to  those  who  shall  em- 
brace the  Christian  faith,  or  who  having  done  so  shall 
fail  to  renounce  it.  Such  is  the  deplorable  state  to 
which  a  mission  is  reduced,  that  for  two  hundred  years 
has  cost  us  so  much  labor  and  suffering." 

Thus  the  prosperity  that  had  sprung  up  under  the 
protection  of  one  Emperor,  disappeared  at  the  first  word 

*  The  missionaries  permitted  to  remain  at  Pekin  were  employed  in 
th»  Mathcmctical  Office,  under  the  title  of  artists  and  learned  men. 


1  (',(•,          .lOntNEY    TllliOl :UI1    THE   CHINESE   EMPIKE. 

of  persecution  from  his  successor.  The  Church  of 
China  had  doubtless  grand  and  beautiful  examples  of 
constancy  in  the  faith  to  record  in  its  annals ;  but 
numerous  and  lamentable  defections  proved  also  that 
Christianity  had  not  struck  deeper  root  in  it  that  it  had 
done  in  past  ages,  and  that  the  Chinese,  so  tenacious 
and  immovable  in  their  attachment  to  ancient  cus- 
tom, had  little  energy  and  steadiness  in  the  cause  of  re- 
ligion. 

To  Young-tching,  a  prince,  as  we  have  seen,  hostile 
to  Christianity,  succeeded  Kien-long,  whose  long  and 
brilliant  reign  seemed  to  have  revived  that  of  Khang-hi. 
The  missionaries  recovered  their  credit  at  Court,  and 
the  work  of  the  propagation  of  the  Gospel  was  resumed, 
but  amidst  perpetual  vicissitudes ;  sometimes  tolerated, 
now  and  then  openly  protected,  but  more  often  fiercely 
persecuted,  especially  in  the  provinces.  The  number 
of  Christians,  however,  was  gradually  increasing,  when 
the  suppression  of  the  religious  orders  and  the  political 
commotions  of  Europe  not  only  arrested  the  progress 
of  the  missions,  but  gave  cause  to  fear  that  the  flame  of 
religion  would  be  once  more  extinguished  in  the  remote 
East.  '  The  old  missionaries  were  removed  by  death, 
there  were  no  new  ones  to  take  their  places,  and  the 
Christians,  left  to  themselves,  were  betraying  the  great- 
est weakness,  when  another  persecution  broke  out  under 
Ki;i-king,  the  successor  of  Kien-long  on  the  Imperial 
Throne.  During  this  unfortunate  period  the  Christian 
communities,  in  many  cases,  completely  disappeared. 

\Vi-  have  visited,  in  the  provinces,  a  great  number  of 
towns  that  formerly  possessed  Christian  churches,  where 
we  could  not  find  a  single  Christian.  In  the  country 
some  poor  families  still  cling  to  the  faith,  as  the  Man- 
darins have  found  nothing  among  them  to  tempt  their 
mjudity,  or  because,  having  no  inheritance  in  this  world, 


JOURNEY   THROUGH   THE   CHINESE   EWIRE.  167 

they  the  more  felt  the  necessity  of  persevering  in  their 
efforts  to  gain  one  in  the  world  to  come. 

In  vain,  however,  has  China  disappointed  over  and 
over  again  the  hopes  of  the  Church,  the  Church  is  never 
discouraged.  The  moment  circumstances  appeared  in 
the  slightest  degree  more  favorable,  Evangelical  labor- 
ers presented  themselves,  no  less  zealous  and  devoted 
than  their  predecessors.  They  crossed  the  ocean  to 
seek,  in  that  land  ravaged  by  so  many  tempests,  the 
few  germs  of  faith  that  had  not  perished;  they  cher- 
ished them  with  care,  they  watered  them  with  their 
tears,  and  scattered  new  seeds  as  they  passed  along  in 
their  apostolic  journeys.  Their  first  care  was  to  collect 
the  dispersed  Christians,  to  induce  them  to  resume  the 
practice  of  their  duty,  and  to  bring  back  to  God  and 
to  the  faith  the  families  that  had  had  the  weakness  to 
succumb  during  the  persecution.  For  thirty  years  past 
the  number  of  missions  has  been  continually  on  the 
increase,  the  greater  part  of  the  ancient  communities 
have  been  re-organized,  and  the  spark  that  had  been 
nearly  extinct  revived  again  in  their  bosoms.  Little  by 
little  also  new  ones  have  been  formed  to  replace  those 
that  disappeared  in  the  storm.  The  great  and  beauti- 
ful association  for  the  propagation  of  the  faith,  with  the 
idea  of  which  God  inspired  a  poor  woman  of  Lyons,  has 
made  considerable  progress;  the  Holy  See  has  erected 
the  eighteen  provinces  of  China  into  so  many  Vicariates 
Apostolic,  in  which  priests  of  foreign  missions,  Jesuits, 
Dominicans,  Franciscans,  and  Lazaristes  labor  without 
ceasing  for  the  extension  of  the  kingdom  of  Heaven. 

Every  vicariate  possesses,  besides,  a  great  number  of 
schools  for  the  education  of  both  boys  and  girls,  and  a 
seminary  where  young  Chinese  are  brought  up  to  the 
ecclesiastical  profession;  in  various  parts  of  the  coun- 
try also  pious  associations  have  been  formed  with,  the 


168          JOURNEY   TIIKOUCII    TIIK   CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

purpose  of  bestowing  baptism  on  dying  children,  or  col- 
lecting those  who  liave  been  abandoned;  and  nurseries 
and  asylums  have  been  instituted  on  the  model  of  those 
that  have  prospered  so  well  in  France. 

At  the  present  time  the  propagation  of  the  Gospel  is 
nevertheless  not  going  on  so  well  as  before.  The  mis- 
sionaries are  no  longer  at  court  under  the  protection  of 
the  Emperor  and  of  men  of  high  rank,  going  and  coming 
with  the  ceremonial  of  Mandarins,  and  appearing  in  the 
eyes  of  the  people  in  the  imposing  position  of  a  power 
recognized  by  the  State.  They  are,  on  the  contrary, 
proscribed  throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  the 
Empire;  they  have  to  creep  into  it  by  stealth,  with  all 
kinds  of  precautions,  and  to  conceal  their  abodes  to 
elude  the  vigilance  of  the  magistrates.  They  even  have 
to  avoid  showing  themselves  to  the  infidels  for  fear  of 
exciting  the  suspicions  of  the  authorities,  and  compro- 
mising the  safety  of  the  Christians  and  the  future  pros- 
pects of  the  missions.  It  may  easily  be  supposed  that, 
thus  fettered,  it  is  impossible  for  the  missionary  to  act 
directly  upon  the  population  and  afford  his  zeal  free 
play.  Not  only  is  he  prohibited  from  proclaiming  in 
public  the  word  of  God,  but  it  would  not  often  be  safe 
for  him  so  much  as  to  mention  the  subject  of  religion  in 
private  with  an  infidel  of  whom  he  was  not  sure.  He 
must  circumscribe  his  zeal  strictly  within  the  limits  of 
his  ministry.  To  go  from  one  community  to  another, 
to  instruct  and  exhort  the  neophytes,  administer  the 
sacraments,  celebrate  in  secret  the  festivals  of  the  holy 
Church,  visit  the  schools  and  afford  what  encourage- 
ment he  can  to  both  masters  and  pupils — this  is  the 
circle  within  which  he  is  compelled  to  confine  himself. 
In  all  the  communities  there  are  certain  heads  or  elders 
designated  as  Catecliists,  who  are  chosen  among  the 
most  steady,  U-st  instructed,  and  influential  Christians 


JOURNEY   THROUGH   THE   CHINESE   EMl'lKE.  109 

of  the  locality,  and  who  are  charged  to  instruct  the  ig- 
norant, and  to  catechise  and  preside  over  the  prayers  in 
the  absence  of  the  missionary.  It  is  they  who  can  act 
most  directly  on  the  iniidels,  instruct  them  in  the  truths 
of  religion,  and  exhort  them  to  renounce  the  supersti- 
tions of  Buddhism.  But,  unfortunately,  their  zeal  for 
the  conversion  of  their  brethren  is  seldom  very  ardent, 
and  they  need  to  be  constantly  kept  up  to  the  mark  by 
all  kinds  of  encouragements. 

Such  is  the  method  generally  followed  in  China  for 
the  propagation  of  the  faith,  and  it  may  easily  be  con- 
ceived that  it  leaves  much  to  be  desired.  Here  and 
there  a  few  conversions  take  place,  and,  on  the  whole, 
the  number  of  Christians  does  certainly  increase — but 
so  slowly,  and  with  so  many  hindrances,  that  one  scarce- 
ly knows  what  to  think  of  the  future  prospects  of  religion 
in  these  countries.  On  the  whole,  there  may  be  perhaps 
at  present  800,000  Christians  in  the  Chinese  Empire ; 
but  what  is  that  out  of  300,000,000  of  inhabitants? 
Such  an  amount  of  success  is  not,  it  must  be  owned,  very 
encouraging  when  it  is  remembered  that  it  is  the  result 
of  many  centuries  of  preaching,  and  of  the  efforts  of 
countless  missionaries. 

It  is  natural  that  our  readers  should  ask  what  may 
be  considered  the  cause  of  this  deplorable  sterility. 
First,  then,  it  is  indisputable  that,  as  the  Government 
is  opposed  to  Christianity,  the  timid  and  pusillanimous 
Chinese  will  have  no  great  inclination  to  profess  it,  to 
brave  the  hostility  of  the  Mandarins,  and  defying  perse- 
cution, to  exclaim  with  pious  daring,  "It  is  better  to 
disobey  man  than  God!"  They  will  excuse  themselves 
by  referring  to  the  prohibition  of  the  Emperor.  But  it 
may  be  asked,  "  would  it  not  be  possible  to  induce  the 
Emperor  to  grant  religious  liberty  to  his  subjects  ?" 
No,  we  think  not.  Not  that  the  Chinese  Government 
VOL.  L— H 


170          JOURNEY   THROUGH  THE   CHIXKSH   EMPIRE. 

is  in  its  own  nature  intolerant  and  persecuting — not  the 
Irnst  in  the  world  ;  in  matters  of  religion  it  is  completely 
indifferent.  It  does  indeed  admit  for  the  public  func- 
tionaries a  kind  of  official  worship,  consisting  in  merely 
external  ceremonies,  but  it  is  itself  profoundly  skeptical, 
leaving  the  people  to  adopt  what  ideas  they  please  con- 
cerning religion,  and  even  from  time  to  time  recommend- 
ing them  to  have  none  at  all.  The  Emperor  Tao-kou- 
ang,  some  time  before  his  accession  to  the  throne,  ad- 
dressed to  the  people  a  proclamation,  in  which  he  passed 
in  review  all  the  religions  known  in  the  Empire — Chris- 
tianity included — and  came  at  last  to  the  conclusion  that 
they  were  all  false,  and  that  one  would  do  well  to  despise 
them  altogether. 

A  Chinese  may  therefore  please  his  fancy,  and  be- 
come a  disciple  of  Buddha,  of  Confucius,  of  Lao-tze, 
or  of  Mohammed,  without  the  tribunals  troubling  them- 
selves at  all  about  it ;  the  Government  only  proscribes 
and  pursues  with  severity  certain  sects,  which  are  in 
fact  only  secret  societies,  organized  for  the  overthrow 
of  the  reigning  dynasty.  Unfortunately  it  has  placed 
Christianity  in  this  category,  and  it  is  veiy  difficult 
to  correct  this  error,  and  introduce  more  just  ideas. 
Seeing  that  Christianity  has  been  brought  into  China, 
and  propagated  by  Europeans,  the  Government  has 
persuaded  itself  that  they  have  done  this  merely  with 
a  view  to  obtain  partisans,  in  order  to  be  able  some 
time  or  other  to  seize  on  the  Empire  with  more  facility. 
The  greater  the  zeal  of  the  Europeans,  the  greater  is 
the  fear  and  suspicion  of  the  Government.  The  sub- 
mission and  attachment,  too,  which  the  neophytes  mani- 
fest toward  these  missionaries,  tend  to  strengthen  these 
chimerical  terrors.  We  say  chimerical,  since  assuredly 
we  know  very  well  that  missionaries  do  not  leave  their 
country,  and  go  to  the  end  of  the  world  to  wear  out 


JOURNEY.  THROUGH  THE   CHINESE  EMPIRE.          171 

their  lives,  in  the  hope  of  overthrowing  a  Mantchou 
dynasty.  But  the  Government  of  Pekin  does  not  see 
this ;  being  profoundly  skeptical  itself,  it  has  no  con- 
ception of  religious  feeling,  and  can  not  at  all  compre- 
hend why  people  should  come  so  far,  and  endure  so 
many  sufferings  and  privations,  for  no  other  purpose 
than  to  teach  gratuitously -to  unknown  persons,  forms 
of  prayer,  and  the  means  of  saving  their  souls.  Such 
a  proceeding  would  appear  to  them  so  excessively  ab- 
surd, so  great  a  folly  and  extravagance,  that  no  one, 
not  even  a  European,  could  be  guilty  of  it.  The  Chi- 
nese, therefore,  are  thoroughly  convinced  that,  under 
pretense  of  religion,  we  are  really  manoeuvring  for  the 
invasion  of  the  Empire,  and  the  overthrow  of  the  dynas- 
ty ;  and  it  must  be  owned,  that  they  have  under  their 
eyes  certain  facts  that  have  no  tendency  to  convince  them 
of  their  mistake.  Careful  as  they  are  to  surround  them- 
selves with  jealous  barriers,  and  not  to  suffer  an  indis- 
creet glance  to  be  cast  on  their  own  doings,  they  like 
very  well  to  know  what  is  going  on  among  their  neigh- 
bors. And  what  do  they  see  all  around  them?  Euro- 
peans, masters  every  where  where  they  have  introduced 
themselves,  and  the  natives  subjected  to  a  domination 
little  enough  conformable  to  the  precepts  of  the  Gospel. 
The  Spaniards  in  the  Philippine  Islands,  the  Dutch  in 
Java  and  Sumatra,  the  Portuguese  at  their  own  doors, 
and  the  English  every  where !  The  French  alone  they 
do  not  see,  but  they  are  perhaps  malicious  enough  to 
suppose  that  we  are  only  seeking  for  an  opportunity  to 
install  ourselves  somewhere. 

This  is  no  mere  supposition  of  ours ;  the  Chinese 
really  have  these  notions,  and  they  do  not  date  from 
yesterday.  In  1724,  when  the  Emperor  Young-tching 
proscribed  the  Christian  religion,  three  of  the  principal 
Jesuits  who  were  at  Court  addressed  a  petition  to  him, 


.lol  KNKY  THROUGH   THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

supplicating  him  to  revoke  his  decision,  and  continue  to 
the  Christains  the  protection  they  had  enjoyed  under 
the  previous  reign.  This  is  what  is  said  on  the  subject 
in  a  letter  of  Father  Mailla,  dated  from  Pekin : 

"  The  Emperor  sent  for  the  three  fathers  to  come  to 
him — a  favor  we  by  no  means  expected.  As  soon  as 
they  had  been  introduced  to  his  presence  he  made  them 
a  speech  a  quarter  of  an  hour  long,  which  he  seemed  to 
have  studied,  for  he  repeated  very  fluently  all  that  could 
justify  his  conduct  with  respect  to  us,  and  replied  to 
the  arguments  alleged  in  the  petition.  This  is  the  sub- 
stance of  what  he  said :  '  The  late  Emperor  my  father, 
after  having  instructed  me  for  forty  years,  chose  me  in 
preference  to  my  brothers  to  succeed  him  on  the  throne. 
It  is  my  great  endeavor  to  imitate  him,  and  not  to  de- 
part in  any  thing  from  his  manner  of  governing.  Cer- 
tain Europeans*  in  the  province  of  Fo-kien  have  been 
endeavoring  to  defy  our  laws,  and  trouble  our  people. 
The  great  men  of  the  province  have  applied  to  me,  and 
I  must  repress  this  disorder.  It  is  the  business  of  the 
government  with  which  I  am  charged,  and  I  neither  can 
nor  ought  to  act  now,  as  I  did  when  I  was  a  private 
prince. 

"  '  You  say  that  your  law  is  not  a  false  law,  and  I  be- 
lieve it.  If  I  thought  it  were,  what  should  hinder  me 
from  destroying  your  churches  and  driving  you  from 
the  Empire  ?  False  laws  are  those  which  under  pretext 
of  virtue  fan  the  spirit  of  revolt — as  the  law  of  Pe-lien- 
kiaof  does.  But  what  would  you  say  if  I  were  to  send 
a  troop  of  Bonzes  and  Lamas  into  your  country  to 
preach  their  law  in  it  ?  How  would  you  receive  them  ? 

u'Le-ma-teou  (the  Chinese  name  for  Father  Ricci) 

*  Spanish  Dominicans,  settled  in  the  province  of  Fo-kien. 
t  The  sect  of  the  "White  Lily." 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          173 

came  to  China,  in  the  first  year  of  Ouan-ly.  I  will 
not  speak  of  what  the  Chinese  did  at  that  time ;  that  is 
not  my  business ;  but  you  were  then  in  small  numbers, 
a  mere  nothing.  You  had  not  your  people  and  your 
churches  in  every  province.  It  was  only  in  my  father's 
reign  you  began  to  build  churches  and  to  spread  about 
your  law  every  where  with  such  rapidity ;  we  observed 
it,  though  we  did  not  dare  say  any  thing ;  but  if  you 
found  means  to  deceive  my  father,  you  need  not  hope  to 
deceive  me  in  the  same  way. 

'"You  wish  to  make  the  Chinese  Christians,  and  this 
is  what  your  law  demands,  I  know  very  well.  But 
what  in  that  case  would  become  of  us  ?  The  subjects 
of  your  kings !  The  Christians  whom  you  make,  re- 
cognize no  authority  but  you ;  in  times  of  trouble  they 
would  listen  to  no  other  voice.  I  know  well  enough 
that  there  is  nothing  to  fear  at  present ;  but  when  your 
ships  shall  be  coming  by  thousands  and  tens  of  thou- 
sands ;  then,  indeed,  we  may  have  some  disturbances.'" 

From  all  that  we  have  been  able  to  observe  during 
our  long  residence  in  China,  it  is  certain  that  all  Chris- 
tians are  regarded  as  the  creatures  of  European  govern- 
ments. This  idea  has  penetrated  so  deeply  into  the 
Chinese  mind,  that  they  sometimes  express  it  with 
strange  simplicity. 

The  Christian  religion  is  designated  in  China  as  Tien- 
tchou-kiao,  that  is  to  say,  the  religion  of  the  Lord  of 
Heaven  ;  the  idea  of  God  being  expressed  by  the  word 
Tien-tchou.  One  day  we  were  speaking  of  religion  with 
a  really  superior  sort  of  Mandarin,  a  veiy  intelligent 
fellow.  He  asked  us  who  was  that  Tien-tchou,  whom 
the  Christians  adore  and  invoke,  and  who  had  promised 
to  render  them  rich  and  happy  in  such  an  extraordinary 
manner.  "Why,"  said  we,  "do  you,  a  learned  man 


171          JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

of  the  first  class,  a  well-instructed  man,  and  one  who 
has  read  the  books  of  our  religion,  do  you  ask  this? 
Do  you  not  know  who  is  the  Tien-tchou  of  the  Chris- 
tians ?" 

k>  Ah,  you  are  right,"  said  he,  putting  his  hand  to  his 
forehead,  as  if  to  recall  a  half-vanishing  recollection; 
"  you  are  right,  I  ought  to  know ;  "but  I  really  had  for- 
gotten all  about  this  Tien-tchou." 

"  Well,  you  know  now ;  who  is  he  then?" 

"  Oh,  to  be  sure,  every  body  knows — he  is  the  Em- 
peror of  the  French ! " 

All  Mandarins  perhaps  are  not  so  bad  as  this  one, 
but  the  conviction  is  pretty  general  among  them,  that 
the  propagation  of  Christianity  is  a  political  movement ; 
and  it  would  be  extremely  difficult  to  set  them  right, 
and  induce  the  Government  to  grant  the  liberty  which 
is  so  necessary  for  a  favorable  reception  of  the  Gospel.  ; 

The  frequent  persecutions  of  all  kinds;  that  the  Gov- 
ernment exerts  against  the  Christians,  form  of  course 
one  great  and  serious  obstacle  to  the  conversion  of  the 
Chinese ;  but  it  is  not  the  greatest,  for  after  all  there 
was  a  time  when  religion  was  not  exposed  to  these 
attacks  from  the  authorities.  Under  the  reign  of  the 
Emperor  Khang-hi,  the  missionaries  were  honored  and 
caressed  by  the  Court ;  the  Emperor  himself  wrote  in 
favor  of  Christianity ;  he  had  churches  built  at  his  ex- 
pense, and  the  preachers,  provided  with  an  Imperial 
license,  might  traverse  the  Empire  freely  from  one  end 
to  the  other,  and  exhort  every  one  to  be  baptized.  No 
Christian  had  any  thing  to  fear;  on  the  contrary,  they 
were  sure  to  find,  in;  case  of  need,  aid  and  protection 
from  the  missionaries.  No  one  dared  to  do  them  the 
least  injury  or  the 'slightest  wrong;  the  Mandarins  were 
obliged  to  treat  them  with  kindness  and  consideration ; 
but  notwithstanding  these  advantages,  so  greatly  ap- 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          m 

predated  by  the  Chinese,  the  conversions  were  by  no 
means  as  rapid,  numerous,  and  steadily  progressive,  as 
they  were  in  Europe  when  the  Gospel  was  first  preached 
there.  With  some  few  precious  exceptions,  it  was  met 
every  where  with  coldness  and  indifference. 

It  is  not  necessary,  however,  to  go  back  so  far,  in 
order  to  know  what  the  Chinese  character  is,  even  when 
there  is  nothing  to  be  feared  from  the  Mandarins.  In 
the  five  ports  open  to  Europeans,  religious  liberty  really 
does  exist,  and  it  is  protected  by  the  presence  of  con- 
suls and  ships  of  war.  Yet  the  number  of  Christians 
does  not  increase  more  rapidly  than  in  the  interior  of 
the  Empire.  In  Macao,  Hong  Kong,  Manilla,  Sinca- 
pore,  Pinang,  Batavia,  though  they  are  under  the  do- 
minion of  Europeans,  the  great  mass  of  the  population 
consists  of  Chinese,  who  for  the  most  part  are  perma- 
nently settled  in  these  cities,  and  hold  in  their  hands 
the  great  interests  of  agriculture,  commerce,  and  in- 
dustry. It  is  certainly  not  the  fear  of  persecution  from 
the  European  authorities  that  hinders  them  from  em- 
bracing Christianity.  Yet  the  conversions  are  not  more 
numerous  than  elsewhere. 

At  Manilla,  which  is  a  Spanish  colony,  the  number 
of  Chinese  Christians  is  considerable  ;  but  that  may 
probably  be  ascribed  to  the  effect  of  a  law  passed  by 
the  Spanish  Government,  which  forbids  a  Chinese  to 
marry  a  Tagale*  woman,  until  he  has  become  a  Chris- 
tian. When  the  Chinese  wish  to  marry,  therefore,  they 
receive  baptism  just  as  they  would  go  tlirough  any  other 
ceremony  that  was  required.  But  if,  even  after  the 
lapse  of  many  years,  the  fancy  takes  them  to  return  to 
their  own  country,  they  leave  the  wife  and  the  religion 
behind,  and  go  back  as  they  came,  perfect  skeptics,  and 
not  troubling  themselves  at  all  about  things  spiritual 
*  The  Tagales  arc  the  aborigines  of  the  Philippine  Islands. 


17ti          JOl'llNEY   THROUGH   THE   CHINESE   EMPIRE. 

and  eternal.  It  is  this  radical,  profound  indifference  to 
all  religion — an  indifference  that  is  scarcely  conceivable 
by  any  who  have  not  witnessed  it — which  is  in  our 
opinion  the  real,  grand  obstacle  that  has  so  long  op- 
posed the  progress  of  Christianity  in  China.  The  Chi- 
nese is  so  completely  absorbed  in  temporal  interests,  in' 
the  things  that  fall  under  his  senses,  that  his  whole  life 
is  only  materialism  put  in  action. 

Lucre  is  the  sole  object  on  which  his  eyes  are  con- 
stantly fixed.  A  burning  thirst  to  realize  some  profit, 
great  or  small,  absorbs  all  his  faculties — the  whole  en- 
ergy of  his  being.  He  never  pursues  any  thing  with 
ardor  but  riches  and  material  enjoyments.  God — the 
soul — a  future  life — he  believes  in  none  of  them,  or, 
rather,  he  never  thinks  about  them  at  all.  If  he  ever 
takes  up  a  moral  or  religious  book,  it  is  only  by  way  of 
amusement — to  pass  the  time  away.  It  is  a  less  seri- 
ous occupation  than  smoking  a  p^e,  or  drinking  a  cup 
of  tea.  If  you  speak  to  him  of  the  foundations  of  faith, 
of  the  principles  of  Christianity,  of  the  importance  of 
salvation,  the  certainty  of  a  life  beyond  the  grave — all 
these  truths,  which  so  powerfully  impress  a  mind  sus- 
ceptible of  religious  feeling,  he  listens  to  with  pleasure, 
for  it  amuses  him  and  piques  his  curiosity.  He  admits 
every  thing,  approves  of  all  you  say,  does  not  find  the 
least  difficulty,  or  make  the  smallest  objection.  In  his 
opinion,  all  this  is  "true,  fine,  grand,"  and  he  puts  him- 
self into  an  oratorical  attitude,  and  makes  a  beautiful 
speech  against  idolatry,  and  in  favor  of  Christianity. 
He  deplores  the  blindness  of  men,  who  attach  them- 
selves to  the  perishable  goods  of  this  world  ;  perhaps  he 
will  even  give  utterance  to  some  fine  sentences  on  the 
happiness  of  knowing  the  true  God;  of  serving  him, 
and  of  meriting  by  this  means  the  reward  of  eternal  life. 
To  listen  to  him,  you  would  think  him  just  ready  to  be- 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          177 

come  a  Christian,  in  fact,  that  he  was  such  already ;  yet 
he  has  not  advanced  a  single  step.  It  must  not,  how- 
ever, be  supposed  that  his  speeches  are  wholly  insincere ; 
he  does  really — after  a  fashion — believe  what  he  says ; 
at  all  events,  he  has  certainly  no  conviction  to  the  con- 
trary ;  he  merely  never  thinks  of  religion  as  a  serious 
matter  at  all.  He  likes  very  well  to  talk  about  it ;  but 
it  is  as  of  a  thing  not  made  for  him — that  he  personally 
has  nothing  to  do  with.  The  Chinese  carry  this  indif- 
ference so  far — religious  sensibility  is  so  entirely  with- 
ered or  dead  within  them — that  they  care  not  a  straw 
whether  a  doctrine  be  true  or  false,  good  or  bad.  Re- 
ligion is  to  them  simply  a  fashion,  which  those  may 
follow  who  have  a  taste  for  it. 

In  one  of  the  principal  towns  of  China,  we  were  f  ••• 
some  time  in  communication  with  a  lettered  Chinese, 
who  appeared  extremely  well  disposed  to  embrace  Chris- 
tianity. We  had  several  conferences  together,  and  we 
studied  carefully  the  most  important  and  difficult  points 
of  doctrine,  and  finally,  by  way  of  complement  to  our 
oral  instruction,  we  read  some  of  the  best  books.  Our 
dear  catechumen  admitted,  without  any  exception,  every 
thing  we  advanced ;  the  only  difficulty  was,  he  said,  the 
learning  by  heart  the  prayers,  that  every  good  Christian 
ought  to  know,  in  order  to  say  them  morning  and  even- 
ing. As  he  seemed  nevertheless  to  desire  putting  off  to 
some  indefinite  period  the  moment  in  which  he  should 
declare  himself  a  Christian,  every  time  he  came  to  see 
us  we  urged  him  to  do  so,  and  made  the  most  earnest 
representation  of  the  duty  of  following  the  truth,  now 
that  he  knew  where  it  lay.  "By  and  by,"  said  he; 
"  all  in  good  time.  One  should  never  be  precipitate." 
One  day,  however,  he  spoke  out  a  little  more.  "  Come," 
said  he,  "let  us  speak  to-day  only  words  conformable  to 
reason.  It  is  not  good  to  be  too  enthusiastic.  No 

H* 


178  .lol'KNEY   TUKOUGH   THE   CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

doubt  the  Christian  religion  is  beautiful  and  sublime ; 
its  doctrine  explains,  with  method  and  clearness,  all 
that  it  is  necessary  for  man  to  know.  Whoever  has 
any  sense  must  see  that,  and  will  adopt  it  in  his  heart 
in  all  sincerity ;  but,  after  all,  one  must  not  think  too 
much  of  these  things,  and  increase  the  cares  of  life. 
Now,  just  consider — we  have  a  body;  how  many  cares 
it  demands !  It  must  be  clothed,  fed,  and  sheltered 
from  the  injuries  of  the  weather;  its  infirmities  are 
great,  and  its  maladies  numerous.  It  is  agreed  on  all 
hands,  that  health  is  our  most  precious  good.  This 
body  that  we  see,  that  we  touch,  must  be  taken  care  of 
every  day,  and  every  moment  of  the  day.  Now  is  not 
this  enough,  without  troubling  ourselves  about  a  soul 
that  we  never  do  see  ?  The  life  of  man  is  short  and  full 
of  misery ;  it  is  made  up  of  a  succession  of  important 
concerns,  that  follow  one  another  without  interruption. 
Our  hearts  and  our  minds  are  scarcely  sufficient  for  the 
solicitudes  of  the  present  life — is  it  wise  then  to  torment 
one's  self  about  the  future  one  ?" 

"Doctor,"  we  replied,  "you  said  when  you  began, 
that  our  discourse  to-day  .should  be  a  reasonable  one; 
but  take  care,  for  it  often  happens,  that  we  think  we 
are  listening  to  the  voice  of  reason,  when  in  fact  only 
prejudice  and  habit  are  speaking.  Our  bodies  are  full 
of  infirmities,  you  say ;  that  is  true,  for  they  are  perish- 
able, and  it  is  for  that  very  reason  we  should  do  better 
to  concern  ourselves  about  our  souls,  which  are  immortal, 
and  which  certainly  exist,  though  we  can  not  see  them. 
Our  present  life,  you  say,  is  a  tissue  of  paltry  cares. 
Undoubtedly  it  is — and  that  is  precisely  why  it  is  rea- 
sonable to  think  of  that  future  life  which  will  have  no 
end.  What  would  you  think  of  a  traveler  who,  on  find- 
ing himself  at  a  dilapitated  inn,  open  to  all  the  winds 
and  deficient  in  the  most  absolute  necessaries,  should 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          179 

spend  all  his  time  in  trying  how  he  could  make  himself 
most  comfortable  in  it,  without  ever  thinking  of  prepar- 
ing for  his  departure,  and  his  return  into  the  bosom  of 
his  family?  Would  this  traveler  be  acting  in  a  wise 
and  reasonable  manner  ?" 

" No!  no !"  replied  the  doctor;  "  one  must  not  travel 
in  that  way;  but  man,  nevertheless,  ought  to  confine 
himself  within  proper  limits.  How  can  he  provide  for 
two  lives  at  the  same  time  ?  If  the  traveler  ought  not 
regularly  to  take  up  his  abode  at  an  inn,  neither  ought 
he  to  travel  on  two  roads  at  the  same  time.  When  one 
wishes  to  cross  a  river,  one  must  not  have  two  boats, 
and  set  a  foot  in  each ;  one  would  run  the  risk  of  tum- 
bling into  the  water,  and  drowning  one's  self."  This 
was  all  we  could  get  out  of  the  doctor,  who  neverthe- 
less was  really  a  worthy  fellow  enough,  but  a  most 
thorough  Chinese.  We  shall,  in  the  sequel,  often  have 
occasion  to  refer  to  this  indifferentism,  the  inveterate 
and  chronic  malady  of  the  Empire  of  China. 

The  reader  may  perhaps,  by  this  time,  have  forgotten 
that  we  were  setting  out  from  the  Tching-tou-fou,  and 
that  we  received  at  the  gate  a  letter  from  Monsiegneur 
the  Vicar  Apostolic  of  the  province  of  Sse-tchouen.  It 
was  this  letter  that  occasioned  us  to  cast  a  glance  over 
the  first  introduction,  the  numerous  vicissitudes,  and  the 
present  state  of  Christianity  in  China. 

During  the  first  hour  of  our  march,  we  noticed  all 
along  the  road  the  hurry  and  activity  that  is  always 
seen  more  or  less  in  the  neighborhood  of  great  towns, 
but  more  especially  in  China,  where  traffic  keeps  every- 
one perpetually  in  motion.  Horsemen,  pedestrians,  por- 
ters, thronged  the  road,  and  raised  clouds  of  dust,  that 
soon  completely  enveloped  us  and  our  palanquins,  and 
threatened  to  suffocate  us.  By  degrees,  as  we  advanced, 
all  these  busy  travelers  had  to  slacken  their  pace,  and 


180         JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  KMPIRE. 

get  out  of  the  way,  and,  in  fact,  to  stop,  in  order  to  al- 
low us  to  pass.  '  The  horsemen  alighted,  and  those  who 
wore  large  straw  hats  had  to  take  them  off.  Those  who 
did  not  hasten  to  show  these  marks  of  respect  to  the  il- 
lustrious "Devils  of  the  West/'  were  graciously  invited 
to  do  so,  by  a  shower  of  thumps  with  the  rattan,  be- 
stowed by  way  of  reminder  by  two  of  our  attendants, 
who  acquitted  themselves  con  amore  of  so  pleasant  a 
duty..  When  people  spared  them  the  trouble  by  being 
voluntarily  mindful  of  "the  rites,"  they  walked  off,  look- 
ing rather  sulky,  and  eying  with  a  disappointed  look 
their  idle  bamboos. 

It  is  usual  in  China  for  the  people  to  manifest  their 
respect  for  magistrates,  when  they  pass  them  in  the 
streets,  or  on  the  roads,  with  their  insignia  of  office. 
No  one  is  allowed  to  remain  seated ;  those  who  are  in 
palanquins  have  to  stop,  the  horsemen  to  alight,  the 
wearers  of  broad-brimmed  straw  hats  to  uncover,  every 
body  has  to  keep  silence  and  to  maintain  a  respectful 
and  filial  attitude  in  presence  of  him  whom  they  call 
their  "  Father  and  Mother ;"  and  who  passes  proudly 
before  them,  casting  at  them  from  his  palanquin  an 
oblique  and  disdainful  glance.  Those  who,  from  neg- 
ligence or  forgetfulness,  fail  to  comply  with  this  cere- 
monial, are  immediately  and  roughly  recalled  to  their 
duty,  by  some  ill-looking,  uncombed  satellites,  with  sal- 
low faces  and  fierce  eyes,  who  are  down  upon  them  in  a 
moment  with  their  whips  and  rattans,  and  endeavor  in 
the  most  energetic  manner  to  inculcate  on  them  a  lesson 
of  filial  piety.  In  general,  the  people  submit  with  a 
very  good  grace  to  these  demands,  to  which  they  are 
bent  and  fashioned  by  long  habit,  and  the  legitimacy  of 
which  no  one  dreams  of  contesting.  But  it  does  never- 
ilidess  happen  from  time  to  time,  that  the  Chinese  do 
not  take  these  lessons  with  quite  so  much  docility,  and 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.  181 

then  quarrels  and  even  regular  battles  take  place,  in 
which  every  body  takes  part,  the  merely  curious  and 
disinterested  parties  generally  with  the  citizens  against 
the  agents  of  authority.  The  satellites  then  become 
humbled  and  trembling ;  they  are  pushed  about,  hustled, 
beaten,  and  pulled  by  their  tails,  and  the  Mandarin  gen- 
erally has  at  last  to  get  out  of  his  palanquin. to  quell 
the  riot.  If  he  is  loved  aaid  esteemed  by  the  people, 
this  is  easy  enough ;  they  listen  to  his  exhortations, 
and  the  seditious  revolt  dies  away ;  but  if  it  happens 
that  they  have  any  complaints  against  him,  they  profit 
by  this  fortunate  occurrence  to  give  him  a  lesson  in  his 
turn.  They  crowd  round  him,  and  load  him  with  sar- 
casm and  abuse,  the  illusion  of  his  omnipotence  speedily 
vanishes ;  and  the  people,  usually  so  respectful  and  sub- 
missive, are  earned  by  passion  to  the  most  violent  ex- 
cesses. 

The  viceroy  Pao-hing,  in  framing  the  regulations  to 
be  observed  during  our  journey,  had  ordered  that  all 
along  the  road  the  same  honors  should  be  paid  to  us  as 
to  functionaries  of  the  highest  rank ;  and  we  had  scarcely 
begun  our  journey,  before  we  perceived  that  very  ener- 
getic measures  were  employed  in  the  execution  of  the 
prescribed  orders.  It  was  far  from  agreeable  to  us  to 
travel  in  this  way.  We  fairly  blushed  with  shame  at 
assuming  thus  the  appearance  of  petty  tyrants,  and  felt 
a  pang  of  remose,  whenever  our  attendants  gave  way  to 
to  their  brutality  against  travelers  who  were  not  quite 
quick  enough  in  demonstrating  their  respect.  Yet  not- 
withstanding our  repugnance,  it  was  necessary  to  rec- 
oncile ourselves  to  these  rather  savage  honors,  "which 
the  Celestial  Empire  has  but  seldom  lavished  on  for- 
eigners. All  that  we  could  do  was  to  beg  the  civil 
Mandarin  to  desire  our  people  to  be  as  indulgent  as  pos- 
sible to  those  who  might  fail  in  the  observance  of  the 


Itt  JOIKNKV  THUOUGH  THE   CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

"Kites."  lie  did  so;  but  our  recommendation  had 
very  little  effect ;  indeed  it  rather  seemed  to  operate  the 
contrary  way,  for  our  satellites,  seeing  that  we  had  taken 
notice  of  their  zeal  in  our  honor,  became  even  more  zeal- 
ous than  before. 

After  a  tliree  hours'  march  we  reached  a  Koung-kouan, 
or  communal  palace,  where  we  were  to  rest  for  a  little 
while  and  take  some  refreshments.  The  guardians  of 
the  palace  were  waiting  for  us  in  their  state  dresses 
at  the  door,  the  top  of  which  had  been  hung  with 
draperies  of  red  silk;  and  at  the  moment  of  our  en- 
trance, they  set  fire  to  a  paquet  of  fire-works  that  had 
been  fastened  to  the  end  of  a  long  bamboo ;  and  we 
marched  into  the  hall  of  reception  to  the  sound  of  this 
Chinese  musketry,  and  in  the  midst  of  the  profoundest 
salutations,  which  we  endeavored  to  return  with  in- 
terest. Upon  a  brilliantly  varnished  table  was  placed 
a  magnificent  collation  of  pastry  and  fruit,  amidst  which 
rose  conspicuously  an  enormous  water-melon,  the  thick 
black  skin  of  which  had  been  carved  in  fanciful  designs 
by  a  Chinese  engraver.  By  the  side  of  the  table  was  a 
gueridon,  supporting  an  antique  porcelain  jar  full  of  lem- 
onade. 

Before  we  sat  down  to  table,  one  of  the  guardians  of 
the  palace  brought  us  a  large  copper  tub  filled  with  boil- 
ing water,  into  which  he  plunged  some  small  napkins, 
and  then,  wringing  them  out,  he  presented  one  to  each 
of  us.  Linen  towels  are  made  use  of  in  this  way,  hot 
and  smoking,  to  wipe  the  hands  and  face ;  and  the  custom 
of  offering  them  to  you  after  meals  and  on  journeys  is 
universal  in  China. 

At  the  beginning  of  our  residence  in  the  country  we 
had  some  difficulty  in  conforming  to  this  practice.  When 
we  went  to  visit  our  Christian  converts,  and  immediately 
on  our  arrival,  they  always  hastened  to  present  us  with 


JOURNEY   THROUGH    THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          183 

a  piece  of  wet  linen,  whence  issued  a  boiling  vapor ;  and 
we  should  have  been  very  glad  to  dispense  with  the  cere- 
mony. But  by  degrees  we  got  accustomed  to  it,  and  at 
last  really  liked  it. 

The  heat  and  the  dust  had  annoyed  us  so  much,  that 
we  did  not  fail  to  do  honor  to  the  Chinese  fruits,  and 
especially  to  the  lemonade,  which  was  deliciously  cool. 
We  were  rather  surprised  to  find  that  it  had  been  pre- 
pared with  ice,  for  this  is  by  no  means  customary  among 
the  Chinese,  who,  when  they  are  parched  with  thirst, 
can  think  of  nothing  more  refreshing  than  swallowing  a 
cup  of  boiling  tea.  As  we  expressed  our  astonishment 
at  being  served  with  a  beverage  so  conformable  to  our 
tastes  and  the  customs  of  our  country,  the  guardians  of 
the  palace  informed  us  that  the  viceroy  had  sent  all 
along  the  road,  to  the  places  where  we  were  to  stop,  a 
set  of  orders,  which  prescribed,  even  to  the  minutest 
details,  the  manner  in  which  we  were  to  be  entertained. 
We  asked  to  see  these  orders,  and  there  truly  we  read, 
that  the  viceroy  commanded  all  the  guardians  of  com- 
munal palaces  to  provide  us  with  juicy  fruits,  melons, 
and  iced  water,  flavored  with  lemon  and  sugar,  because 
"  such  are  the  customs  of  the  people  who  come  from  the 
western  seas."  It  would  certainly  not  have  been  easy 
to  find  any  one  more  polite  and  gracious  than  this  Vice- 
roy of  Sse-tchouen.  When  he  was  questioning  us  con- 
cerning our  habits  of  life  in  our  own  country,  we  did  not 
imagine  it  was  with  the  view  of  rendering  our  passage 
through  China  more  agreeable  to  us.  In  general,  we 
have  met  with  much  more  devotion  of  character  among 
the  Mantchous  than  the  Chinese — always  more  gen- 
erosity and  less  treachery ;  and  now  when  the  Man- 
tchou  Tartars  are  about  to  be  driven  from  China — 
when  they  are  attacked  so  violently  in  all  the  writings 
that  speak  of  the  Chinese  insurrection,  we  can  do  no 


184          JOURNEY    THROUGH    THE    ClIINKSi:    KM  PIKE. 

less  than  bear  this  sincere  and  just  testimony  to  their 
merits. 

We  resumed  our  march  after  a  short  halt,  and  ar- 
rived a  little  before  night  at  Kien-tcheou,  a  town  of  the 
second  order.  In  this  our  first  day's  journey,  we  al- 
ready had  occasion  to  be  angry  with  our  conductor,  the 
.Mandarin  Ting ;  and  we  took  good  care  not  to  let  him 
escape.  We  had  remarked  as  we  came  along*  that  our 
palanquins  were  not  the  same  that  had  been  shown  to 
us  before  our  departure,  which  were  perfectly  conven- 
ient. Master  Ting  had  indeed  received  the  money  to 
purchase  these,  but  he  had  not  been  able  to  resist  the 
temptation  of  keeping  the  half  of  it  for  himself,  and  had 
accordingly  got  two  old,  narrow,  broken-down  palan- 
quins varnished,  and  made  to  look  like  new.  These. 
were  so  narrow  and.  inconvenient,  that  we  had  had  an 
extremely  uneasy  journey.  But  it  was  not  enough  for 
Master  Ting  thus  to  speculate  on  our  palanquins ;  he 
wished  to  turn  an  honest  penny  also  on  our  bearers.  It 
had  been  arranged  that  we  were  to  have  four  a-piece ; 
but  this  ingenious  speculator  had  managed  to  make  us 
do  with  three ;  two  before,  and  one  behind,  so  that  he 
pocketed  the  wages  of  the  fourth. 

We  were  not  surprised  at  this,  for  we  knew  that  a 
Chinese  can  scarcely  ever  keep  the  straight  path  of  him- 
self, but  has  to  be  forcibly  brought  back  to  it.  We  did 
not,  however,  expect  to  have  to  begin  the  very  first  day, 
and  it  did  not  seem  a  good  augury. 

In  the  evening,  when  we  were  taking  tea  together, 
we  told  our  conductor  that  we  had  been  arranging  our 
plans  for  the  next  day.  "Oh,  I  understand,"  said  he, 
with  the  satisfied  air  of  a  man  who  considers  himself 
very  sagacious;  "you  don't  like  the  heat,  and  you  would 
rather  set  off  at  an  earlier  hour  in  order  to  enjoy  the 
freshness  of  the  morning ;  that's  it,  is  it  not  ?" 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          185 

"  Not  at  all !  you  are  to  set  out  alone,  and  to  go  back 
to  Tching-tou-fou." 

"Have  you,  perhaps,  forgotten  something?" 

"  No !  we  have  forgotten  nothing ;  Ibut  you  will  go 
back,  as  we  said,  to  Tching-tou-fou ;  you  will  go  to  the 
Viceroy,  and  tell  him  that  we  will  have  nothing  more  to 
do  with  you." 

AVe  said  this  in  so  serious  a  manner,  that  Master 
Ting  could  not  possibly  imagine  there  was  any  joke 
meant.  He  started  up,  and  stared  at  us  open-mouthed 
with  an  expression  of  astonishment ;  and  we  went  on. 

"We  will  have  nothing  more  to  do  with  you;  and 
you  will  beg  the  Viceroy  to  send  us  another  conductor. 
If  the  Viceroy  should  ask  why  we  will  have  nothing 
more  to  do  with  you,  you  can  tell  him,  if  you  please, 
that  it  is  because  you  have  been  cheating  us  in  making 
us  travel  in  two  bad  palanquins,  and  giving  us  only 
three  bearers  cacli,  instead  of  four." 

"That  is  true!  that  is  true!"  cried  Master  Ting, 
whose  animal  spirits  had  now  got  into  circulation  again ; 
"  I  noticed  as  we  went  along  that  your  palanquins  were 
not  at  all  fit  for  persons  of  your  quality :  what  you  want 
are  those  fine,  handsome  palanquins  with  four  bearers ; 
who  could  doubt  that  ?  I  saw  this  morning  that  there 
was  some  confusion  in  Pao-ngan's  house ;  and  things 
have  not  been  managed  as  they  ought  to  have  been. 
The  Hidden  Treasure  is  a  man  who  loves  lucre,  as  every 
body  knows ;  but  who  could  suppose  he  would  carry 
his  avarice  so  far  as  not  to  provide  you  with  suitable 
palanquins  ?  One  must  have  little  regard  for  one's  honor 
and  reputation  to  do  such  a  thing  as  that.  However, 
we  are  rather  different  sort  of  people ;  we  will  endeavor 
to  make  amends  for  the  evil  doings  of  Hidden  Treasure, 
and  give  you  good  palanquins  instead  of  those  bad  ones." 
This  speech  was  completely  Chinese — that  is  to  say,  a 


186         JOURNEY  THROUGH   THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

lie  from  one  end  to  the  other ;  but  it  would  have  been 
taking  trouble  to  little  purpose  to  endeavor  to  refute  it. 
"  My  Lord  Ting,"  said  we,  "  we  know  very  well  what 
to  think  on  the  subject  of  this  fraud ;  but  it  does  not  so 
much  matter  to  us  to  know  who  has  pocketed  the  money 
for  our  palanquins, .  as  to  know  whether  we  shall  have 
any  others.  That  is  the  question." 

"Yes,  certainly,  you  shall.  How  can  personages  like 
you  travel  in  this  manner  ?" 

"When  shall  we  have  them?" 

"  Directly — to-morrow." 

"Mind  what  you  say.  Do  not  promise  more  than 
you  can  perform." 

"  To-morrow ;  certainly  not  later.  We  shall  come  to 
a  considerable  place,  where  the  traveler  can  find  every 
thing  he  desires." 

"  Since  that  is  the  case,  let  us  set  off  together." 

At  dawn  on  the  following  morning,  it  was  announced 
to  us  that  every  thing  was  ready  for  our  departure.  We 
entered  our  narrow  traveling  prisons,  and,  after  a  very 
circuitous  course  through  the  streets  of  the  town,  the 
procession  reached  a  great  gate,  on  the  banks  of  the 
famous  Yang-tze-kiang  (the  "river  which  is  the  Son  of 
the  Sea"),  and  which  the  Europeans  call  the  Blue  River. 
Master  Ting  approached  us  now,  and  said,  in  the  most 
gracious  manner  in  the  world,  that  since  the  way  by 
land  was  long,  mountainous,  toilsome,  and  dangerous, 
from  passing  by  many  precipices,  he  had  taken  the  lib- 
erty to  hire  a  boat,  in  order  to  render  that  part  of  our 
journey  more  agreeable  and  rapid.  We  had  been  jour- 
neying so  long  on  terra  firma,  that  a  little  trip  by  water 
promised  to  be  uncommonly  pleasant.  The  pure  calm 
.sky  foretold  apparently  a  delightful  day,  and  we  already 
enjoyed  in  anticipation  the  pleasure  of  feeling  ourselves 
borne  along  by  the  majestic  current  of  the  finest  river  in 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          187 

the  world ;  while  we  contemplated  at  leisure  the  splen- 
dor and  magnificence  of  its  shores.  We  immediately, 
therefore,  ascended  the  deck  of  the  junk,  and  our  palan- 
quins were  brought  on  board  after  us. 

Those  who  have  not  a  tolerably  good  stock  of  pa- 
tience, or  who  do  not  desire  an  opportunity  of  acquiring 
it,  should  certainly  not  think  of  traveling  to  the  Celes- 
tial Empire  to  enjoy  the  pleasure  of  a  voyage  in  a 
junk.  They  might  run  the  risk  of  going  mad  before 
they  weighed  anchor. 

Scarcely  had  our  procession  reached  the  place  of  em- 
barkation, than  every  body  hastened  to  get  on  board, 
and  to  install  himself  there  according  to  his  own  pecul- 
iar notions  of  comfort. 

It  has  always  seemed  to  us,  that  the  nature  of  a  Chi- 
nese, body  and  soul,  had  an  astonishing  resemblance  to 
that  of  India-rubber.  The  suppleness  of  their  minds 
can  only  be  compared  to  the  elasticity  of  their  corporeal 
frames;  and  it  is  worth  seeing  how,  when  they  have 
found  a  snug  corner,  be  it  ever  so  small,  they  will  man- 
age to  stuff  themselves  in,  and  curl  themselves  round, 
and  make  a  perfect  nest  of  it ;  and  when  they  have  once 
taken  up  such  a  position,  they  are  settled  in  it  for  the 
day. 

We  were  no  sooner  on  board  than  our  numerous  trav- 
eling companions  all  contrived  to  get  themselves  housed. 
The  palanquin  Tbearers  seemed  to  us  to  have  taken  up  a 
position  one  upon  the  other  in  the  kitchen,  to  which  air 
and  daylight  could  only  enter  by  a  very  small  aperture. 
But  ^hese  people  really  appear  to  regard  air  and  light 
as  mere  superfluities.  No  sooner,  too,  had  they  crouch- 
ed down  in  this  hole,  than  they  set  to  work  eagerly  to 
play  at  cards. 

The  soldiers,  our  servants,  and  those  of  the  Manda- 
rins had,  in  the  meanwhile,  stowed  themselves  away 


188          JOUKNKY   TIIKOUGII  THE  CHINESE  EMPIKK. 

between  decks  in  all  sorts  of  impossible  and  unimagin- 
able postures,  and  were  busy  regaling  themselves  with 
tea,  tobacco,  and  noisy  gossip.  Our  two  conductors, 
Ting  and  the  military  officer  Leang,  had  taken  refuge 
in  an  alcove  closed  in  with  curtains,  through  the  nu- 
merous slits  of  which  we  could  distinguish  the  feeble 
rays  of  a  lamp  and  much  white  vapor,  which  exhaled 
a  foetid  odor,  giving  us  plainly  to  understand  that  the 
chiefs  of  our  escort  were  engaged  in  intoxicating  them- 
selves with  opium.  As  for  ourselves,  alone  and  tran- 
quil on  the  deck  of  the  junk,  we  were  pacing  backward 
and  forward,  drawing  the  fresh  morning  air  into  our 
lungs,  and  watching  the  bustle  of  the  port,  and  the 
smiling  faces  of  a  crowd  of  the  townspeople,  for  whom 
we  appeared  to  present  the  most  astonishing  spectacle 
they  had  ever  seen.  As  for  the  crew  of  the  vessel,  not 
a  man  was  there  to  be  seen,  with  the  exception  of  an 
old  fellow,  rolled  up  like  a  pin-cushion,  near  the  helm, 
but  who  did  not  appear  to  concern  himself  at  all  about 
things  below,  and  most  likely  still  less  about  those 
above.  He  was  hugging  his  knees,  on  which  his  chin 
rested;  and  since  we  had  come  on  board,  he  had  not 
quitted,  for  a  single  moment,  this  comfortable  and  ele- 
gant attitude. 

We  asked  him  whether  we  were  not  soon  going  to  set 
off.  Then  he  rose  up,  and  answered,  looking  all  the 
while  at  the  sky,  "Who  knows*  that?  I  am  not  the 
master — I  am  only  the  cook." 

"Where  is  the  master,  then?  Where  are  the  sail- 
ors ?" 

"The  master  is  at  home,  and  the  'sailors  are  at  the 
market." 

On  this  information  we  resumed  our  walk,  and  the 
cook  his  favorite  attitude.  A  European,  who  was  still 
a  novice  in  the  Celestial  Empire,  might  perhaps  have 


JOURNEY    THROUGH   THE    CHINESE   EMPIRE.  189 

become  impatient,  and  made,  as  the  phrase  is,  bad 
blood,  on  such  an  occasion. 

After  the  lapse  of  two  long  hours,  the  sailors  seem  to 
have  remembered  that  they  had  a  junk  in  port,  and, 
slowly  and  quietly,  one  after  another  made  his  appear- 
ance. The  master  at  length  called  over  their  names, 
and  the  crew  being  found  complete,  the  plank  between 
the  deck  and  the  shore  was  taken  away.  That  was 
something;  but  we  were  still  a  long  way  off  starting. 
Our  two  Mandarins  now  came  out  of  their  opium  den, 
and  went  to  rind  the  master;  and  then  began  a  dispute 
that  seemed  interminable,  for  no  arrangement  had  yet 
been  made  about  the  price  for  our  passage.  By  the 
time  all  these  difficulties  were  smoothed,  it  was  nearly 
noon ;  the  sailors  began  their  nasal  song,  as  they  work- 
ed at  the  capstan  and  unfurled  the  large  matting  sails  ; 
the  great  iron-wood  anchor  was  soon  up,  and  the  breeze 
and  the  current  bore  us  swiftly  away,  while  a  Chinese 
sailor  kept  up  a  sonorous  tune,  striking  the  tam-tam  by 
way  of  salute  to  the  shore. 

We  had  promised  ourselves  an  agreeable — indeed  a 
magnificent — day.  The  morning,  as  we  said,  left  no- 
thing to  desire,  but  the  fine  weather  did  not  last.  The 
sky  soon  became  covered  with  clouds,  and  we  had  hard- 
ly been  sailing  a  quarter  of  an  hour  before  a  pouring 
rain  forced  us  to  quit  the  deck  and  take  refuge  below,  in 
the  midst  of  a  deafening  noise  and  an  air  close  to  suffo- 
cation. 

As  we  had  but  a  short  time  before  quitted  the  frozen 
mountains  of  Thibet,  we  suffered  much  in  this  species 
of  stew-pan,  where  we  seemed  to  breathe  only  the  burn- 
ing and  nauseous  vapors  of  tobacco  and  opium.  •  After 
having  been  so  often  in  danger  of  perishing  from  cold, 
we  were  now  apparently  likely  to  die  of  heat. 

While  we  were  thus  being  cured  in  a  corner  of  this 


190          JOUKNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

• 

great  smoking-room,  our  Chinese  appeared  perfectly  at 
their  ease.  They  panted  a  little  from  time  to  time; 
but  we  saw  that  on  the  whole  they  were  happy,  and 
that  this  state  of  things  was  perfectly  agreeable  to  them. 
.Master  Ting  especially  seemed  to  be  in  a  state  of  the 
highest  self-satisfaction.  After  having  smoked  abund- 
antly both  tobacco  and  opium,  and  swallowed  a  consid- 
erable number  of  cups  of  tea,  he  began  to  warble  his 
long  litanies,  doubtless  to  thank  his  patron,  Kao-wang, 
for  having  thus  far  prospered  his  honest  endeavors.  We 
understood  perfectly  well,  however,  that  the  cause  of 
his  extreme  satisfaction  was  the  handsome  profit  he  ex- 
pected to  make  out  of  the  journey ;  this  being  the  case, 
his  delightful  humor  was  quite  intelligible. 

A  young  Chinese,  named  Wei-chan,  who  had  been 
given  to  us  for  a  private  servant,  and  who  appeared  very 
much  devoted  to  us,  probably  because  he  thought  it  his 
interest  to  do  so,  kept  us  a  little  au  courant  to  the 
diplomatic  manosuvrcs  of  our  conductors. 

This  trip  on  the  water  we  found  had  only  been  un- 
dertaken in  consequence  of  a  little  prudent  calculation. 
At  every  stage,  the  Mandarin  of  the  place  where  we 
stopped  was  obliged  to  supply  all  the  wants  of  the  party, 
as  well  as  the  expenses  of  the  road  to  the  next  stage ; 
and  to  furnish  bearers  for  the  palanquins,  and  horses 
for  the  soldiers.  These  corvees  cost  considerable  sums. 
Now  Master  Ting  had  made  his  little  arrangements 
thus ;  he  sent  forward  his  scribe  along  the  route  we 
were  to  have  followed,  to  gather  the  appointed  tribute, 
but  graciously  to  inform  the  Mandarins  that  he  would 
spare  them  all  the  trouble  of  the  affair  by  proceeding  by 
water.  It  was  easy,  as  we  were  going  down  the  river, 
to  do  in  one  day  the  distance  of  four  stages,  and  as  the 
hiring  of  a  boat  costs  very  little,  the  profits  became 
enormous. 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.  191 

This  is  why  Master  Ting  was  reciting  the  litanies  of 
Kao-wang  with  such  a  beaming  countenance. 

If  our  voyage  had  been  but  tolerably  agreeable,  we 
should  have  been  happy  to  give  him  an  opportunity  of 
realizing  this  little  fortune ;  but  it  was  abominable,  and 
more  than  once  perilous.  The  rain  never  left  off  for  a 
single  moment ;  and  as  we  had  set  off  so  late,  night 
came  on  before  we  had  gone  half  the  way.  The  navi- 
gation of  the  Blue  River,  so  safe  and  easy  in  the  inte- 
rior of  China,  when  it  has  acquired  its  full  development, 
and  rolls  its  majestic  volume  of  waters  through  vast 
plains,  presents  serious  difficulties  in  the  mountainous 
province  of  Sse-tchouen.  Its  course  has  sometimes  the 
rapidity  of  a  perfect  torrent ;  and  its  bed  is  winding, 
and  full  of  shoals  which  demand  great  skill  and  pru- 
dence in  the  navigation.  This  is  why  the  viceroy  had  ' 
ordered  that  we  should  make  the  journey  by  land ;  but 
he  had  reckoned  without  his  Master  Ting,  who  could 
not  resist  speculating  on  our  lives  and  his  own.  We 
did  not  utter  a  word  of  complaint  or  reproach ;  but  we 
contented  ourselves  with  forming,  on  our  side,  our  little 
plan  for  the  next  day,  which  would,  we  flattered  our- 
selves, check  any  inclination  he  might  feel  in  future  to 
follow  the  suggestions  of  his  enterprising  genius. 

It  was  past  midnight  when  we  arrived  at  Kien-tcheou, 
a  town  of  the  third  order.  The  night  was  profoundly 
dark,  and  the  rain  still  falling  heavily ;  the  anchor  was 
dropped  as  near  as  possible  to  the  shore,  where  we  could 
perceive  a  great  deal  of  bustle,  and  many  lanterns  mov- 
ing about  in  all  directions ;  these  were  the  persons  sent 
from  the  various  tribunals,  and  Ting's  scribe,  who  were 
waiting  for  us. 

The  disembarkation  was  effected  amidst  tremendous 
vociferation  and  indescribable  confusion.  As  soon  as 
our  palanquins  had  been  put  ashore,  we  entered  them ; 


li.U  JOl'KNKY    THKOl  (ill    TI1K   CHINKS!-:    KMI'IKK. 

and  our  bearers,  feeling  doubtless,  after  their  thirty 
hours'  rest,  the  want  of  a  little  exercise  to  put  their 
blood  into  circulation,  set  off  with  us  at  a  round  pace. 
At  the  moment  when  they  started,  Master  Ting  bawled 
to  them,  at  the  top  of  his  voice,  to  be  sure  and  take  us 
to  the  Hotel  of  Accomplished  Wishes. 

At  the  corner  of  the  street,  however,  we  stopped  the 
bearers,  and  desired  them  to  proceed  to  the  communal 
palace,  for  we  intended  to  lodge  there,  and  at  no  hotel ; 
and  they  immediately  obeyed,  while  our  escort  probably 
directed  their  steps  to  the  above-named  Hotel  of  Accom- 
plished Wishes.  We  soon  arrived ;  but  there  was  no 
appearance  of  our  having  been  expected,  for  all  the 
gates  of  the  palace  were  shut.  We  told  the  bearers  to 
make  a  noise ;  and  it  must  be  proclaimed  to  their  honor, 
that  they  acquitted  themselves  of  this  duty  in  a  manner 
there  could  be  no  mistake  about,  and  fairly  stunned  us. 
A  heap  of  great  stones  lay  just  handy,  and  in  a  moment 
they  were  sent  flying  against  the  door,  which  was  soon 
opened,  and  a  guardian  of  the  palace  made  his  appear- 
ance, in  a  very  incomplete  costume  indeed,  and  not  hav- 
ing, evidently,  the  most  distant  notion  what  the  riot 
was  about.  When  he  had  a  little  recovered  from  his 
consternation,  we  were  able  to  enter  into  some  explana- 
tions, from  which  it  appeared,  as  we  expected,  that  the 
guardians  of  the  Koung-houan  had  not  been  informed 
of  our  arrival,  and  that  there  was  nothing  in  readiness 
for  our  reception.  This  was,  then,  another  manoeuvre, 
a  la  Chinoise,  of  Master  Ting,  and  we  had  nothing  for 
it,  but  to  betake  ourselves  to  the  Hotel  of  Accomplished 
Wishes,  the  name  of  which,  as  far  as  we  were  con- 
cerned, certainly  had  rather  a  satirical  sound.  We 
found  there  all  the  escort  assembled,  and  Master  Ting, 
and  the  officer  Leang,  hastened  to  assure  us,  that  if  no 
one  had  been  drowned  on  the  way,  it  was  entirely  owing 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.  193 

to  our  merit ;  that  every  one  had  been  sheltered  under 
our  good  fortune,  and  so  forth ;  and  then  they  tried  to 
explain  to  us  how  it  was  quite  impossible  that  we  should 
have  been  lodged  at  the  communal  palace.  "  Well," 
said  we,  "we  are  tired  and  hungry ;  let  us  have  some- 
thing to  eat,  and  then  go  to  bed,  for  it  is  long  past  mid- 
night; we  can  settle  other  affairs  to-morrow." 
VOL.  I.— I 


CHAPTER    V. 

Disputes  with  the  Mandarins  of  Kicn-tcheou — Intrigues  to  prevent  us 
from  going  to  the  Communal  Palace — Magnificence  of  this  Palace — 
The  Garden  of  Sse-ma-kouang — Chinese  Kitchen — State  of  the 
lloads  and  Channels  of  Communication — Some  Productions  of  the 
Province  of  Sse-tchouen — Use  of  Tobacco,  in  Smoking  and  taking 
Snuff — Tchoung-tching,  a  Town  of  the  first  Order — Ceremonies 
observed  by  the  Chinese  in  Visits  and  Conversations  of  Etiquette — 
Nocturnal  Apparition — Watchmen  and  Criers  of  the  Town — Fires 
in  China — The  Addition  of  a  Military  Mandarin  to  our  Escort — 
Tchang-cheou-hien,  a  Town  of  the  third  Order — Release  of  three 
Christian  Prisoners — Superstitious  Practices  to  obtain  Rain — The 
Dragon  of  Rain  exiled  by  the  Emperor. 

DAY  had  scarcely  dawned,  when  Master  Ting  took  it 
upon  him  to  interrupt  our  first  sleep,  to  announce  to  us 
that  it  was  time  to  set  off. 

"Take  yourself  off,  Master  Ting,"  said  we,  "as 
quickly  as  you  can  ;  and,  moreover,  if  any  one  else  has 
the  impudence  to  come  disturbing  us,  we  will  get  you 
degraded." 

The  door  closed,  and  we  turned  round  and  went  to 
sleep  again,  for  we  were  worn  out  with  fatigue.  At 
noon  we  rose,  quite  refreshed  and  ready  to  begin  the 
war  with  the  Mandarins. 

We  turned  our  steps  toward  a  neighboring  apartment, 
from  which  proceeded  a  whispering  sound,  as  of  a  con- 
versation carried  on  in  a  low  voice.  We  opened  the 
door,  and  found  ourselves  in  the  presence  of  a  numer- 
ous and  brilliant  assembly,  composed  of  the  principal 
magistrates  of  the  town.  After  saluting  the  company 


JOURNEY  THROUGH   THE   CHINESE   EMPIRE.  195 

with  the  utmost  solemnity,  we  perceived  in  the  middle 
of  the  room  a  table,  on  which  were  arranged  some  little 
dishes  for  a  dessert,  the  prelude  obligate  of  every  Chi- 
nese repast.  Without  any  other  explanation,  we  drew 
forward  an  arm-chair,  and  begged  the  company  to  be 
good  enough  to  be  seated.  Our  assurance  seemed  to 
create  some  astonishment ;  but  a  great  fat  Mandarin, 
the  prefect  of  the  town,  pointed  out  the  places  of  honor, 
and  invited  us  to  take  them,  which  we  immediately  did 
without  hesitation.  This  was  not  very  modest  on  our 
part,  nor  quite  conformable  to  the  Chinese  rites ;  but 
we  needed,  for  the  moment,  to  make  an  imposing  im- 
pression. 

The  guests  were  numerous.  The  dessert  was  attack- 
ed in  silence,  every  one  contenting  himself  with  ex- 
changing a  few  forms  of  politeness  in  a  low  voice. 
They  glanced  at  us  by  stealth,  as  if  to  make  out  from 
our  countenances  the  nature  of  our  sentiments.  There 
was  evidently  a  feeling  of  general  embarrassment.  At 
length  a  young  civil  functionary,  probably  the  boldest 
of  the  troop,  ventured  to  reconnoitre  the  ground. 

"Yesterday,"  said  he,  "was  a.  disagreeable  day;  the 
navigation  of  the  Blue  River  must  have  been  far  from 
pleasant ;  but  to-day  the  weather  is  splendid.  It  is  a 
pity  that  you  did  not  set  out  at  an  early  hour  in  the 
morning ;  you  would  have  arrived  at  Tchoung-tching 
before  nightfall.  Tchoung-tching  is  the  best  town  in 
the  province." 

"Certainly,"  repeated  the  others  in  chorus ;  "there 
is  nothing  comparable  to  Tchoung-tching.  One  finds 
there  every  thing  one  can  wish  for.  What  a  difference 
between  this  country  and  that !  Here  poverty  is  ex- 
cessive— we  live  only  in  privation." 

"It  is  not  yet  very  late,"  resumed  the  young  func- 
tionary ;  "  you  can  get  as  far  this  evening  as  the  com- 


1%          JOUUNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIIM;. 

mun.il  palace  on  the  road,  pass  the  night  there,  and  ar- 
rive to-morrow  at  Tchoung-tching  before  noon." 

"Oh!"  added  another,  "the  thing  is  easy  enough; 
for  the  roads  are  as  flat  as  my  hand,  and  the  country  is 
enchantingly  beautiful ;  you  travel  constantly  under  the 
shade  of  large  trees." 

"Have  the  bearers  of  the  palanquins  been  told?" 
cried  the  fat  prefect  of  the  town,  addressing  the  numer- 
ous domestics  who  filled  the  hall.  "Quick!  let  some 
one  go  and  see  for  them,  for  our  two  illustrious  guests 
are  determined  to  set  off  as  soon  as  they  have  eaten 
their  rice.  They  are  in  a  great  hurry,  and  can  not 
honor  us  any  longer  with  their  presence." 

"Wait  a  moment,"  said  we;  "we  are  in  no  hurry. 
It  does  not  appear  that  any  one  here  is  acquainted  with 
our  affairs.  In  the  first  place,  we  have  to  change  pal- 
anquins. Those  that  were  given  us  at  Tching-tou-fou 
will  not  do.  Eh?  Blaster  Ting!  Is  it  not  here  that 
we  were  to  get  the  good  palanquins  with  four  bearers  ?" 

"No,  no!"  cried  all  the  Mandarins  in  concert;  "a 
little  place  like  this !  How  in  the  world  could  you  find 
good  palanquins  ready  here?  You  must  order  them 
beforehand." 

"Very  well;  order  them,  then.  We  are  in  no  hurry. 
Whether  we  get  to  Canton  a  moon  sooner  or  later 
makes  very  little  difference  to  us.  In  the  mean  time 
we  can  amuse  ourselves  here,  by  visiting  the  town  and 
its  environs." 

"In  such  a  poor  place  as  this,"  said  the  prefect, 
"there  are  no  skillful  workmen  to  be  found.  Nobody 
here  knows  how  to  make  any  other  palanquins  than 
those  little  bamboo  ones  for  two  bearers.  The  people 
of  this  part  of  the  country  know  nothing  of  luxury ; 
very  few  of  them  have  enough  to  live  on.  You  must 
go  to  Tchoung-tching  to  find  great  manufactories." 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  QHINESE  EMPIRE.  197 

"  Yes,  yes !  you  must  go  to  Tclioung-tching,"  was 
echoed  from  all  quarters ;  "  Tchoung-tching  is  the  place 
for  fine  palanquins.  Every  one  knows  that  the  Manda- 
rins, for  eighteen  provinces  round,  all  send  for  their 
palanquins  to  Tchoung-tching." 

"  Is  that  true  ?"  said  we,  turning  to  Master  Ting. 

"  Certainly  it  is  true.  Who  here  would  dare  to  utter 
lies  ?" 

"In  that  case,  then,  find  a  man  who  understands 
these  things,  and  send  him  directly  to  Tchoung-tching 
to  get  some  palanquins.  We  will  wait  here.  We  need 
a  little  rest,  and  we  will  profit  by  this  opportunity.  We 
speak  calmly ;  but  this  decision  is  irrevocable.  We 
shall  not  alter  it." 

The  Mandarins  looked  at  one  another  quite  stupefied. 

During  the  whole  of  this  interesting  discussion,  the 
dinner  had  been  going  on ;  and  having  taken  our  last 
cup  of  tea,  we  rose  to  return  to  our  chamber  and  leave 
the  Mandarins  to  settle  the  matter  among  them. 

They  had  a  long  debate,  which  ended  in  the  Chinese 
fashion,  by  sending  deputations  to  endeavor  to  make  us 
change  our  minds.  First  came  the  civil  Mandarins, 
then  the  military  ones,  then  both  orders  united ;  but  all 
found  us  inflexible.  They  invented  the  most  absurd 
tales ;  they  heaped  lie  upon  lie  to  prove  to  us  that  we 
must  set  out  immediately.  But  to  all  this  we  had  but 
one  answer:  "When  men  like  us  take  a  resolution,  it 
is  irrevocable." 

At  last  it  was  announced  to  us  that  palanquins  had 
been  brought,  and  they  begged  us  to  come  down  into 
the  court-yard  to  examine  them.  We  made  no  objec- 
tion ;  and,  after  casting  a  glance  at  them,  said,  "  Very 
well ;  let  them  be  bought." 

But  thereiipon  arose  a  new  question.  The  Manda- 
rins looked  at  one  another,  and  asked,  "Who  is  to  pay?" 


V 

.101KNKV   TIIKOrcil    Till:   CIIININI.    l.MPIRE. 

The  discussion  became  lively,  and  although  we  were 
quite  uninterested  in  it,  we  asked  permission  to  state 
our  opinion. 

"  It  is  very  evident,"  said  we,  "that  the  town  of  Kien- 
tcheou  is  not  obliged  to  provide  us  with  palanquins." 

•"That  is  conformable  to  reason,"  exclaimed  eagerly 
the  Mandarins  of  Kicn-tcheou. 

"  That  ought  to  have  been  done  at  Tching-tou-fou, 
whence  we  began  our  journey ;  but  it  would  seem  that 
the  person  who  procured  us  palanquins  there,  did  not 
act  in  conformity  with  the  rules  of  honor." 

"That's  the  thing,"  cried  the  Mandarins;  "  doubtless 
he  kept  for  himself  a  part  of  the  money  that  was  allotted 
for  them." 

"Well,  we  must  repair  this  error,  and  it  does  not 
seem  to  us  that  there  is  any  great  difficulty.  Yester- 
day, in  our  passage  on  the  Blue  River,  we  made  two 
days'  journey.  Master  Ting  ppt  the  money  for  two 
stages,  and  only  had  to  pay  for  the  hire  of  a  boat.  It 
does  seem  to  us,  therefore,  that  he  both  can  and  ought 
to  pay  the  price  of  the  palanquins." 

The  Mandarins  of  Kien-tcheou  burst  out  laughing, 
and  said  our  solution  of  the  problem  was  capital.  Mas- 
ter Ting  was  foaming  with  rage,  and  uttering  yells  a.s 
if  his  inside  were  being  torn  out. 

"  Compose  yourself,"  said  we,  "  and  pay  the  dealer 
the  price  of  these  palanquins  with  a  good  grace ;  other- 
wise we  must  immediately  write  to  the  viceroy  that  you 
made  us  travel  on  the  Blue  River."  This  threat  had  a 
wonderful  effect,  and  our  conductor  began  mournfully  to 
count  out  the  cash. 

The  evening  had  come,  and  still  there  was  no  talk  of 
our  going  away ;  but  the  Mandarins  of  Kien-tcheou  ap- 
}>r;uvd  pvatly  diverted  at  the  misadventure  of  Master 
Ting,  not  at  all  suspecting  Unit  their  turn  was  coining  next 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.  199 

On  the  following  day,  as  soon  as  it  was  broad  day- 
light, Master  Ting  presented  himself  very  modestly,  to 
ask  whether  he  might  send  for  the  bearers,  and  at  the 
same  time  he  delivered  to  us  some  visiting  cards,  by 
which  the  principal  Mandarins  of  the  town  expressed  to 
us  their  good  wishes  for  ou«r  journey. 

We  replied,  that  he  might  send  the  bearers ;  because 
it  was  our  intention  to  go  to  the  communal  palace  and 
pass  the  day  there,  as  we  declined  lodging  at  the  Hotel 
of  Accomplished  Wishes.  Our  conductor,  who  had 
not  yet  recovered  from  the  shock  of  the  evening  before, 
looked  at  us  with  so  astonished  a  face  that  we  were 
obliged  to  repeat  our  words  with  a  little  more  emphasis. 
The  moment  he  was  sure  of  our  meaning,  he  left  the 
room  and  gave  Jhe  alarm  to  the  Mandarins,  who  came 
running  one  after  the  other  to  assure  themselves  of  the 
truth  of  the  incredible  report. 

It  was  the  prefect  of  the  town  whom  we  most  wished 
to  see;  so,  as  soon  as  he  arrived,  we  mentioned  that  he 
ought  to  have  received  from  Sse-tchouen  a  dispatch,  in 
which  it  was  directed  that  we  were  to  be  lodged  in  the 
communal  palace ;  and  that  we  could  not  understand 
why,  at  Kien-tcheou,  the  orders  of  the  viceroy  had  not 
been  executed;  that  for  various  reasons  we  wished  to 
quit  the  hotel,  and  go  and  pass  a  day  at  the  communal 
palace:  first,  not  to  establish  a  bad  precedent,  and 
create  the  temptation  to  do  elsewhere  what  had  been 
done  here ;  secondly,  because,  being  obliged  to  write 
afterward  to  the  viceroy,  to  give  him  an  account  of  the 
manner  in  which  we  had  been  treated  on  the  road,  it 
would  be  painful  to  us  to  have  to  point  out  that  at 
Kien-tcheou  they  had  not  executed  his  orders.  "Be- 
sides," we  added,  "the  route  we  have  before  us  is  long 
and  fatiguing;  we  suffered  much  inconvenience  on  the 
Blue  Hiver,  and  we  should  be  very  glad  of  a  day's  rest." 


200          JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

All  these  were  excellent  reasons,  but  the  prefect  could 
see  nothing  but  the  expense  of  entertaining  so  numer- 
ous a  party  for  a  whole  clay  at  the  palace.  He  did 
not  dare  give  his  true  reason,  however,  and  say  at  once 
that  it  would  cost  too  much ;  the  Chinese  always  prefer 
less  angular  methods ;  a  lie,  is  much  more  convenient. 
The  prefect  declared  that  we  should  be  conferring  upon 
him  infinite  happiness  by  remaining  another  day  at 
Kien-tcheou.  Men  from  the  great  kingdom  of  France ! 
— that  was  indeed  a  rarity!  Moreover,  our  presence 
could  not  fail  to  bring  good  fortune  to  the  country;  but 
the  communal  palace  was  uninhabitable,  it  was  in  so 
horrible  a  state  that  a  man  of  the  lowest  class  could 
not  be  lodged  in  it.  It  was  full  of  workmen  and  of  the 
materials  for  repairs  that  were  about  to  be  made  in  it. 
Besides  this,  there  were  in  the  grand  saloon  seven  or 
eight  coffins,  containing  the  dead  bodies  of  official  per- 
sons of  the  district,  waiting  till  the  members  of  their 
respective  families  should  come  and  take  them  away  to 
bury  them  in  their  native  places. 

The  prefect  calculated  a  good  deal  on  the  moral  ef- 
fect of  this  last  argument.  While  he  was  speaking  in 
the  most  sombre  and  lugubrious  manner  of  these  coffins 
and  dead  bodies,  he  looked  attentively  into  our  faces, 
to  see  whether  he  had  not  alarmed  us.  But  we  were 
rather  more  inclined  to  laugh,  for  we  were  convinced 
there  was  not  one  word  of  truth  in  all  that  he  had  been 
saying. 

We  replied,  in  a  somewhat  ironical  tone,  that  since 
probably  the  viceroy  was  not  aware  of  the  communal 
palace  having  been  converted  into  a  cemetery,  it  would 
be  well  to  write  to  him  to  that  effect ;  since  if  he  hap- 
pened to  travel  this  way  himself,  he  might  not,  perhaps, 
find  it  pleasant  to  take  up  his  abode  among  coffins  and 
dead  bodies ;  but  that  as  far  as  we  were  concerned  it  did 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          201 

not  make  the  slightest  difference,  as  we  were  not  much 
afraid  of  the  living,  and  not  at  all  of  the  dead.  We 
should  go  to  the  palace,  therefore,  and  did  not  doubt 
but  that  we  should  be  able  to  make  ourselves  very  com- 
fortable there.  The  prefect  did  his  utmost  to  deter  us 
from  this  "  almost  insane"  project ;  and  at  last,  to  have 
done  with  him,  we  told  him  that  he  might  settle  the 
matter  at  his  good  pleasure,  provided  only  that  he  would 
write  and  sign  a  statement  that  we,  having  wished  to 
rest  for  a  day  at  the  communal  palace  of  Kien-tcheou, 
had  not  been  allowed  to  do  so  on  account  of  its  being 
in  an  uninhabitable  state.  The  prefect  perfectly  under- 
stood our  meaning ;  and  turning  to  some  subaltern  offi- 
cers who  were  in  waiting,  he  said:  "I  am  of  the  same 
way  of  thinking  as  our  guests ;  it  is  absolutely  neces- 
sary they  should  have  a  day  of  repose.  Let  orders  be 
immediately  sent  to  the  Koung-kouan  to  take  away  the 
coffins  and  put  things  as  they  ought  to  be,  and  let  the 
guardians  take  care  not  to  be  again  guilty  of  the  same 
fault."  Ten  minutes  afterward  we  were  proceeding  in 
state,  in  our  new  palanquins,  to  the  communal  palace. 
As  we  went  out  we  just  whispered  in  the  ear  of  Master 
Ting,  "  Kemember,  if  we  are  not  properly  treated,  we 
will  remain  two  days  instead  of  one."  Strange  country, 
in  which  it  is  necessary  to  behave  in  this  way  in  order 
not  to  be  oppressed  and  ill-treated  yourself. 

It  would  have  been  really  a  pity  to  leave  Kien-tcheou 
without  seeing  this  magnificent  palace ;  and  when  we 
had  gone  over  it,  we  could  not  help  thinking  that  the 
Mandarins  had  been  unwilling  to  let  us  come  in,  lest, 
charmed  by  its  beauty  and  convenience,  we  should  be 
unwilling  to  go  out  again.  After  traversing  a  vast  court 
planted  with  trees,  we  ascended  to  the  main  building 
by  thirty  beautiful  cut  stone  steps.  The  apartments 
were  spacious,  lofty,  exquisitely  clean,  and  deliciously 


202          JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

cool  and  fresh ;  the  furniture  was  richly  ornamented 
with  gilding,  in  an  infinite  variety  of  patterns  ;  the 
hangings  were  of  gorgerous  red  or  yellow  silk,  the  car- 
pets made  of  woven  bamboo-peeling,  and  painted  in  the 
liveliest  colors  ;  there  were  antique  bronzes,  immense 
porcelain  urns,  vases  of  the  most  elegant  forms,  in  which 
flowers  and  shrubs  of  the  most  whimsical  appearance 
were  growing :  such  were  the  ornaments  that  we  found 
in  this  superb  abode.  Behind  the  house  was  an  im- 
mense garden,  in  which  Chinese  industry  had  exhausted 
its  resources  to  imitate  the  freedom  and  even  the  ca- 
pricious sports  of  nature.  It  would  be  difficult  to  give 
an  exact  idea  of  these  curious  creations,  the  taste  for 
which  prevailed  for  a  long  time  in  Europe,  and  on  which 
the  rather  unsuitable  name  of  English  garden  has  been 
bestowed  by  us.  There  is  a  little  Chinese  poem  entitled 
"The  Garden  of  /Sse-ma-kouang,"  in  which  that  illus- 
trious historian  and  great  statesman  of  the  Celestial  Em- 
pire,* has  been  pleased  to  describe  all  the  wonders  of 
his  rural  retreat ;  and  it  will  give  us  much  pleasure  to 
offer  a  translation  of  this  pretty  fragment  of  Chinese  lit- 
erature, which  will  at  the  same  time  throw  some  light 
on  the  character  of  its  author,  that  famous  Sse-ma- 
kouang  who  played  so  important  a  part  under  the  dy- 
nasty of  the  /Song,  in  a  social  revolution  hereafter  to  be 
mentioned : 

"  Let  others,"  says  Sse-ma-kouang,  "  build  palaces 
to  contain  their  vexations,  and  display  their  vanity ;  I 
have  made  myself  a  retreat  to  amuse  my  leisure,  and 
converse  with  my  friends.  Twenty  acres  of  land  have 
sufficed  for  my  purpose.  In  the  midst  is  a  great  hall, 
in  which  I  have  collected  5000  volumes,  to  interrogate 

^~i  -ma-kouang  was  first  minister  of  the  Empire,  toward  the  end  of 
the  eleventh  century,  under  the  dynasty  of  Song. 


JOURNEY   THROUGH   THE   CHINESE  EMPIRE.  203 

the  wise  and  converse  with  the  ancient.  Toward  the 
south  is  a  pavilion,  in  the  midst  of  the  waters  of  a 
rivulet  that  falls  from  the  hills  on  the  west.  Here  it 
forms  a  deep  basin,  which  afterward  divides  into  five 
branches,  like  the  claws  of  a  leopard,  and  innumerable 
swans  swim  on  its  surface  or  sport  on  its  banks.  On 
the  borders  of  the  first,  which  flings  itself  down  in  re- 
peated cascades,  there  rises  a  steep  overhanging  rock, 
curved  like  an  elephant's  trunk ;  and  the  top  of  this  sus- 
tains an  open  pleasure-house  to  take  the  fresh  air,  and 
see  the  rubies  with  which  morning  adorns  the  sun  at 
his  rising.  The  second  branch  divides  itsejf,  a  little 
way  off,  into  two  canals,  round  which  winds  a  gallery, 
with  a  double  terrace  bordered  with  rose  and  pome- 
granate trees.  The  branch  from  the  west  bends  in  the 
form  of  a  bow  toward  the  north  of  a  solitary  bower, 
where  it  forms  a  little  islet,  covered  with  sand  and 
shells  of  various  colors ;  one  part  is  planted  with  trees 
always  green,  the  other  is  adorned  with  a  cottage  of 
reeds  and  thatch,  resembling  those  of  fishermen.  The 
other  two  branches  seem  alternately  to  seek  and  to  fly 
from  one  another,  as  they  follow  the  declivity  of  a  mea- 
dow enameled  with  flowers,  which  they  keep  ever  fresh: 
sometimes  they  diverge  from  their  beds  to  form  little 
pearly  basins,  framed  in  errfbrald  turf;  then  they  leave 
the  level  of  the  meadow,  and  descend  in  two  narrow 
channels,  and  the  waters  break  against  the  rocks  that 
oppose  their  passage,  and  roar  and  dash  into  foam,  and 
then  roll  off  in  silver  waves,  through  the  winding  course 
they  are  obliged  to  take. 

"North  of  the  great  hall  are  several  summer  pavil- 
ions, scattered  at  random  about  hills  which  rise  one 
above  the  other,  like  a  mother  above  her  children ;  some 
hang  on  the  declivity  of  a  hill,  some  are  nestled  in  little 
gorges,  and  are  only  half  seen.  All  the  hills  are  shaded 


20-1          JOUKNKY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

by  groves  of  tufted  bamboo,  and  intersected  by  gravel 
paths  to  which  the  sun's  rays  never  penetrate. 

"  To  the  eastward  spreads  out  a  small  plain  divided 
into  flower  beds,  square  and  oval,  and  defended  from  the 
cold  winds  of  the  north  by  a  wood  of  ancient  cedars. 
All  these  beds  are  filled  with  odoriferous  plants,  medic- 
inal herbs,  flowers,  and  shrubs.  Never  does  spring 
leave  this  delicious  spot.  A  little  forest  of  lemon,  pom- 
egranate, and  orange  trees,  always  loaded  with  flowers 
and  fruit,  completes  the  prospect.  In  the  midst  of  this 
forest,  is  a  mount  of  verdure  which  you  ascend  by  a 
gentle  winding  slope,  that  passes  several  times  round 
it,  like  the  volutes  of  a  shell,  and  which  gradually  dimin- 
ishes to  the  summit.  Here  and  there,  at  short  distances, 
you  find  scats  of  soft  turf,  which  invite  to  repose,  and 
to  the  contemplation  of  the  garden  from  various  points 
of  view. 

"  On  the  west,  an  avenue  of  weeping-willows,  with 
their  long  pendent  branches,  guides  you  to  the  banks  of 
a  .stream,  which  falls  a  few  paces  further  from  the  brink 
of  a  rock  covered  with  ivy  and  wild  grasses  of  various 
colors.  The  environs  exhibit  a  barrier  of  pointed  rocks, 
fancifully  heaped  together,  and  rising  in  an  amphitheatre 
in  a  wild  and  rustic  manner.  At  the  bottom  of  these  is 
a  deep  grotto,  which  enlarges  as  you  advance  into  it,  till 
it  forms  a  kind  of  irregular  saloon  with  a  dome-like  roof. 
The  light  enters  this  apartment  by  an  aperture  tolerably 
large,  but  vailed  by  branches  of  the  honeysuckle  and 
wild  vine.  This  grotto  affords  a  cool  retreat  from  the 
burning  heats  of  the  dog-days  ;  masses  of  rock  scattered 
here  and  there,  or  broad  platforms  cut  out  of  the  solid 
rock,  form  the  seats.  A  little  fountain  issues  from  one 
side,  and  falls  in  trickling  threads  upon  the  floor,  where, 
after  winding  about  through  many  crystal  rills,  it  unites 
again  in  a  reservoir  which  forms  the  bath,  and  after- 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          205 

ward  discharges  itself  into  a  pond  below  the  grotto. 
This  pond  leaves  only  a  narrow  path  between  the  shape- 
less grotesque  rocks  by  which  it  is  inclosed ;  and  these 
are  inhabited  by  a  whole  nation  of  rabbits,  that  startle 
the  countless  swarms  of  fish  in  the  pond  as  much  as 
they  are  startled  by  them. 

"  How  charming  is  this  solitude !  The  broad  surface 
of  its  watery  basin  is  sprinkled  with  little  islets  of 
slirubs,  the  larger  of  which  serve  as  'aviaries,  and  are 
filled  with  all  kinds  of  birds.  You  can  pass  easily  from 
one  to  the  other  by  blocks  of  stone  that  rise  out  of  the 
water,  and  little  wooden  bridges,  some  straight,  some 
arched,  some  in  zigzag,  that  cross  it.  When  the  lilies 
with  which  the  borders  of  the  pond  are  planted  produce 
their  flowers,  it  appears  crowned  with  purple  and  scarlet 
— like  the  horizon  of  the  seas  of  the  South,  when  the 
sun  rests  on  it. 

"  To  leave  this  solitude  you  must  either  turn  back  or 
cross  the  chain  of  steep  rocks  by  which  it  is  surrounded. 
You  can  ascend  to  the  summit  of  it  by  a  sort  of  rude 
staircase  roughly  hewn  with  the  pickax ;  and  there  you 
find  a  simple  cabinet,  iinadorned  indeed,  but  yet  adorned 
enough  by  the  view  of  an  immense  plain  through  which 
the  Kiang  rolls  its  flood  through  rice  fields  and  villages. 
The  innumerable  barks  with  which  this  mighty  river  is 
covered,  the  laborers  tilling  the  ground,  the  travelers 
who  are  passing  along  the  highways,  animate  this  en- 
chanting prospect ;  and  the  azure  mountains  which  term- 
inate the  horizon  afford  repose  and  recreation  to  the 
sight. 

"  When  I  am  weary  of  writing  and  composing  in  the 
midst  of  my  books  in  my  great  hall,  I  throw  myself 
into  a  boat  which  I  row  myself,  and  go  and  seek  the 
pleasures  of  my  garden.  Sometimes  I  land  on  the  fish- 
ing-island, where,  with  a  broad  straw  hat  on  my  head 


206          JOURNEY   THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMl'IKE. 

to  protect  me  from  the  ardent  rays  of  the  sun,  I  anni.-*; 
myself  with  enticing  the  fish  that  sport  in  the  water, 
and  study  our  human  passions  in  their  mistakes ;  or  at 
other  times,  with  my  quiver  on  my  shoulder,  and  my 
bow  in  my  hand,  I  climb  over  the  rocks,  and  there,  ly- 
ing in  wait,  like  a  traitor,  for  the  rabbits,  as  they  issue 
forth,  I  pierce  them  with  my  arrows  at  the  entrance 
of  tneir  holes.  Alas !  they  are  wiser  than  we  are,  and 
they  fly  from  what  is  dangerous  to  them ;  if  they  spy 
me  coming,  not  one  will  show  himself. 

"  When  I  walk  in  my  garden  I  gather  the  medicinal 
plants  that  I  wish  to  keep ;  if  a  flower  pleases  me,  I 
pluck  it,  and  enjoy  its  scent ;  if  I  see  one  suffering 
from  thirst,  I  water  it,  and  its  neighbors  profit  by  the 
shower.  How  many  times  have  ripe  fruits  restored  to 
me  the  appetite  that  the  sight  of  luxurious  dishes  had 
taken  away.  My  pomegranates  and  my  peaches  are 
the  better  for  being  gathered  by  my  own  hand,  and  the 
friends  to  whom  I  send  them  are  always  pleased  by  my 
doing  so.  Do  I  see  a  young  bamboo  that  I  wish  to 
leave  to  grow,  I  cut  it,  or  I  bend  and  interweave  its 
branches  to  free  the  path.  The  summit  of  a  rock,  the 
banks  of  a  stream,  the  depths  of  a  wood,  all  are  welcome 
to  me  when  I  wish  to  repose  myself.  I  enter  a  pavilion, 
to  watch  a  stork  making  war  on  the  fish  ;  but  scarcely 
have  I  entered,  than  forgetting  what  brought  me  there, 
I  seize  my  kin,*  and  challenge  the  birds  around  to 
rivalry. 

"The  last  rays  of  the  sun  surprise  me  sometimes 
while  I  am  contemplating  in  silence  the  tender  anxieties 
of  a  swallow  for  her  little  ones,  or  the  stratagems  of  a 
hawk  to  gain  possession  of  his  prey.  The  moon  rises, 
and  I  am  still  sitting  there ;  this  is  an  additional  pleasure. 
The  murmuring  of  the  waters,  the  rustling  of  the  leaves 
*  A  sort  of  Chinese  violin. 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          207 

in  the  wind,  the  beauty  of  the  heavens,  plunge  me  into 
a  delightful  reverie ;  all  nature  speaks  to  my  soul ;  I  go 
wandering  about,  and  listening,  and  night  has  reached 
the  middle  of  its  course  before  I  have  reached  the  thresh- 
old of  my  door. 

"My  friends  come  too,  occasionally,  to  interrupt  my 
solitude,  to  read  to  me  their  works,  or  to  hear  mine. 
Wine  enlivens  our  frugal  repasts,  philosophy  seasons 
them ;  and  while,  at  court,  men  are  seeking  voluptuous 
pleasure,  fostering  calumny,  forging  fetters,  and  laying- 
snares,  we  are  invoking  wisdom,  and  offering  her  our 
hearts.  My  eyes  are  constantly  turned  toward  her,  but 
alas !  her  rays  only  beam  on  me  through  a  thousand 
clouds:  let  them  be  dispersed,  even  were  it  by  a  storm, 
and  this  solitude  will  become  for  me  the  temple  of  felic- 
ity. But  what  do  I  say?  I,  a  husband,  a  father,  a 
citizen,  a  man  of  letters — I  am  bound  by  a  thousand 
duties,  my  life  is  not  my  own.  Adieu,  my  dear  garden ! 
adieu!  the  love  of  kindred  and  of  country  calls  me  to 
tlie  city;  keep  thy  pleasures,  that  they  may  some  day 
dissipate  anew  some  new  cares,  and  save  my  virtue  from 
their  temptations." 

The  garden  of  the  communal  palace  of  Kien-tcheou 
did  not  certainly  present  all  the  superb  features  de- 
scribed by  the  pencil  of  Sse-ma-kouang,  but  it  was  nev- 
ertheless one  of  the  finest  we  had  seen  in  the  Celestial 
Empire.  We  passed  the  remainder  of  the  morning  in 
it,  and  were  never  tired  of  admiring  the  patience  of  the 
Chinese,  in  cutting,  out  of  shrubs  and  fragments  of  rock, 
all  the  eccentric  figures  suggested  by  their  whimsical  and 
fertile  imaginations. 

We  were  seated  under  the  portico  of  a  miniature 
pagoda,  when  Master  Ting  came  to  inform  us  that  din- 
ner was  ready.  The  principal  functionaries  of  the  place, 


208          JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

in  rich  and  brilliant  costume,  were  already  assembled  in 
the  hall,  and  their  reception  of  us  was  most  amiable  and 
gracious.  We  overwhelmed  each  other  with  compli- 
ments and  courtesy,  and  invited  each  other  reciprocally 
to  the  most  honorable  places.  To  put  an  end  to  this 
polite  contest,  we  said  that  the  Koung-kouan  being  the 
house  of  the  traveler,  we  ought  to  be  considered  as  at 
home,  and  should,  therefore,  of  course,  treat  our  guests 
according  to  the  rites.  We  assigned,  therefore,  to  each 
of  the  company  a  place  according  to  his  rank,  reserving 
the  lowest  for  ourselves,  and  this  proceeding  was  very 
graciously  received.  They  began  to  think  we  were  not 
quite  such  uncivilized  barbarians  as  they  had  taken  us 
to  be  the  evening  before. 

The  banquet  was  splendid,  and  served  according  to 
all  the  formalities  of  Chinese  etiquette.  On  the  part  of 
the  guests,  there  could  be  nothing  more  desired ;  in- 
deed, they  were  so  excessively  amiable,  that  we  could 
not  for  a  moment  doubt  of  their  having  the  most  lively 
and  earnest  desire  to  get  rid  of  us  on  the  next  day. 

We  will  not  attempt  to  describe  a  Chinese  dinner; 
not  but  that  it  might  present  some  details^  capable  of  in- 
teresting Europeans,  but  they  are  already  pretty  well 
known,  and  we  should  fear  trying  the  reader's  patience 
too  far.  We  remember,  also,  seeing  in  the  "Melanges 
Posthumes"  of  Abel  Remusat,  the  following  passage, 
which  would  prevent  us  from  attempting  to  give  the  no- 
menclature of  the  dishes,  even  had  we  been  so  inclined : 

"Some  years  ago  (says  this  clever  and  learned  Ori- 
entalist), the  officers  of  a  European  embassy  returning 
from  China,  where  they  had  cause  to  applaud  them- 
selves for  the  success  of  their  operations,  thought  prop- 
er to  favor  the  readers  of  the  '  Gazette'  with  a  descrip- 
tion of  a  repast  that  had  been  given  to  them,  they  said, 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          209 

by  the  Mandarins  of  some  frontier  town.  Never,  ac- 
cording to  their  account,  had  people  Tbeen  better  enter- 
tained; the  quality  of  the  dishes,  the  number  of  the 
services,  the  play  performed  in  the  interval,  all  was  ex- 
actly described,  and  produced  an  admirable  effect.  But 
it  happened,  that  some  persons  who  were  readers  of  old 
books,  had  a  kind  of  recollection  of  having  seen  some- 
thing like  that  before,  and,  on  inquiry,  it  appeared  that 
more  than  a  hundred  years  back,  exactly  the  same  din- 
ner, composed  of  the  very  same  dishes,  and  served  in 
precisely  the  same  manner,  had  been  given  to  some 
Jesuit  missionaries,  who  had  written  an  account  of  it. 
There  were  many  people,  however,  for  whom  it  was  all 
quite^new,  and  though  it  may  be  true,  in  general,  that 
*  a  warmed-up  dinner  is  good  for  nothing,'  in  this  par- 
ticular case  it  was  found  very  acceptable ;  and  the  pub- 
lic, always  fond  of  particulars  concerning  manners  and 
customs,  and  even  of  culinary  details,  cared  very  little 
to  know  who  had  been  the  real  diners.  Whoever  they 
might  have  been,  it  found  just  the  same  amusements  in 
the  singularities  of  the  Chinese  table  etiquette,  and  the 
gravity  with  which  the  guests,  while  eating  their  rice, 
executed  manoeuvres  and  evolutions  that  would  have 
done  honor  to  a  well-trained  regiment  of  infantry." 

Since  the  time  when  M.  Abel  Remusat  alluded  thus 
playfully  to  this  famous  Chinese  dinner,  it  has  been 
served  over  again  many  times,  especially  after  the  last 
war  of  China  with  England.  But  the  new  editions  of 
it  that  have  been  published  both  in  English  and  French, 
have  been  unfortunately  so  much  corrected  and  revised 
as  a  little  to  damage  its  accuracy.  Under  pretense  that, 
in  the  course  of  a  hundred  years,  the  Chinese  may  have 
made  some  discoveries  in  the  culinary  art,  it  has  been 
found  amusing  to  make  the  public  believe  that  they 


210          JOURNEY  THROUGH   TIIK   CJIINKSE   K.MIMKK. 

prepared  dishes  with  castor-oil,  and  that  some  of  their 
favorite  dainties  were  shark's  fins,  fish-gizzards,  goose- 
feet,  peacock's  combs,  and  other  delicacies  of  the  same 
description. 

Such  dishes  as  these  could  scarcely  have  been  met 
with  by  any  one  who  had  made  acquaintance  with  Chi- 
nese cookery  elsewhere  than  at  Canton,  a  few  'yards 
from  the  English  factories ;  or,  in  fact,  as  Europeans 
newly  landed  in  China  are  always  very  anxious  to  get 
invited  to  a  Chinese  dinner,  in  the  hope  of  meeting  with 
some  extraordinary  things,  it  is  by  no  means  impossi- 
ble that  some  of  the  Canton  merchants  may  have  been 
mischievous  enough  to  amuse  themselves  at  their  ex- 
pense, and  serve  them  up  dishes  invented  expressly  for 
them,  and  which  had  never  before  made  their  appear- 
ance at  a  Chinese  table. 

Peacocks  are  so  rare  in  China  that  we  have  ourselves 
never  seen  any  there.  The  feathers  of  this  bird  are 
sent  to  the  court  by  tributary  kingdoms,  and  the  Empe- 
ror gives  them  as  a  special  favor  to  the  highest  function- 
aries, with  permission  to  wear  them  in  their  caps  on 
state  occasions,  as  an  ornament.  How,  then,  can  we 
imagine  that  dishes  made  of  the  peacock's  combs  can  be 
common  at  Chinese  dinner  parties  ?  The  castor-oil  plant 
is  not  unknown  in  China;  it  is  cultivated  extensively 
in  the  northern  provinces,  but  the  oil  is  used  merely  for 
lighting,  and  so  far  is  it  from  being  regarded  as  a  favor- 
ite condiment,  that  when  one  day,  at  a  Mission  not  far 
from  Pekin,  we  wished  to  give  a  small  dose  of  it  to  one 
of  our  brothers  who  was  ill,  our  Chinese  converts  vehe- 
mently opposed  our  doing  so,  saying  that  this  oil  was  a 
poison.  We  do  not  deny,  nevertheless,  that  Europeans 
may  have  seen  it  on  dinner-tables  at  Canton,  but  we 
(••••I  quite  sure  that,  in  that  case,  they  have  been  made 
the  victims  of  some  mystification,  and  that  when  they 


JOURNEY  THROUGH   THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.  211 

were  amusing  themselves  with  the  absurd  tastes  of  the 
Chinese,  the  latter  were  in  their  turn  laughing  at  the 
credulity  of  the  Europeans. 

It  is  certain,  however,  that  a  real  Chinese  dinner 
would  be  a  very  odd  thing  in  the  eyes  of  a  stranger, 
especially  if  he  were  one  of  those  who  think,  as  some 
people  do,  that  there  is  only  one  way  of  living.  To 
begin  dinner  with  the  dessert,  and  end  it  with  the  soup ; 
to  drink  the  wine  smoking  hot,  out  of  little  china  cups, 
and  have  your  food  brought  to  you  ready  cut  up  into 
small  pieces,  and  to  be  presented  with  a  couple  of  sticks, 
instead  of  a  knife  and  fork,  to  eat  it  with ;  TO  have,  in- 
stead of  napkins,  a  provision  of  little  bits  of  colored  silk 
paper  by  the  side  of  your  plate,  which,  as  you  use,  the 
attendants  carry  off;  to  leave  your  place  between  the 
courses,  to  smoke  or  amuse  yourself;  and  to  raise  your 
chop-sticks  to  your  forehead,  and  then  place  them  hori- 
zontally upon  your  cup,  to  signify  that  you  have  finished 
your  dinner — all  these  things  would  doubtless  seem 
very  odd,  and  create  the  curiosity  of  Europeans.  The 
Chinese,  on  the  other  hand,  can  never  get  over  their 
surprise  at  our  way  of  dining.  They  ask  how  we  can 
like  to  drink  cold  fluids,  and  what  can  have  put  it  into 
our  heads  to  make  use  of  a  trident  to  carry  food  to  our 
mouths,  at  the  risk  of  pricking  our  lips  or  poking  our 
eyes  out.  They  think  it  very  droll  to  see  nuts  put  on 
the  table  in  their  shells,  and  ask  why  our  servants  can 
not  take  the  trouble  to  peel  the  fruit,  and  take  the  bones 
out  of  the  meat.  They  are  themselves  certainly  not 
very  difficult  in  the  nature  of  their  food,  and  like  such 
tilings  as  fried  silk-worms  and  preserved  larva?,  but  they 
can  not  understand  the  predilection  of  our  epicures  for 
high  game,  nor  for  cheese  that  appears  to  belong  to  the 
class  of  animated  beings. 

One  day,  at  Macao,  we  had  the  honor  to  be  seated  at 


212          JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

the  dinner-table  of  a  representative  of  a  European  pow- 
er, when  a  magnificent  dish  of  snipes  was  brought  in. 
But  what  a  disappointment !  The  Chinese  Vatel  had 
taken  out  the  entrails  of  this  incomparable  bird.  He 
knew  not  what  a  perfumed  and  savory  treasure  the  snipe 
holds  in  its  stomach.  The  cook  was  forced  to  appear 
before  the  arbiters  of  taste,  who  received  him  with 
wrathful  looks,  and  the  delinquent  was  struck  with  con- 
sternation on  hearing  that  he  had  committed  a  culinary 
crime  too  heavy  to  be  a  second  time  pardoned.  Hoping 
to  make  amends,  the  unfortunate  cook,  a  few  days  after- 
ward, took  care  to  serve  up  in  all  their  integrity  some 
birds  that  were  not  snipes,  and  thereupon  a  new  storm 
of  wrath  fell  on  the  devoted  head  of  the  poor  Chinese, 
and  was  followed  by  his  dismissal,  in  a  state  of  utter 
despair  that  he  should  ever  be  able  to  exercise  his  art 
in  a  manner  conformable  to  the  astoundingly  capricious 
tastes  of  Europeans. 

All  the  inhabitants  of  the  Celestial  Empire,  without 
exception,  are  gifted  with  a  remarkable  aptitude  for 
cookery.  If  you  want  a  cook,  it  is  the  easiest  thing  in 
the  world  to  supply  the  want ;  you  have  but  to  take  the 
first  Chinese  you  can  catch,  and  after  a  few  days'  prac- 
tice he  will  acquit  himself  of  his  duties  to  admiration. 

What  appears  most  surprising,  is  the  extreme  sim- 
plicity of  means  with  which  these  marvels  are  performed. 
One  single  iron  pot  suffices  to  execute  promptly  the  most 
difficult  combinations.  The  Mandarins  are  in  general 
pretty  much  of  gourmands,  and  carry  the  business  and 
refinements  of  the  table  to  a  tolerably  high  pitch.  They 
have  in  their  service  cooks  who  possess  a  vast  store  of 
receipts,  and  secrets  to  disguise  dishes  in  a  thousand 
ways,  and  change  their  natural  flavor ;  and  when  they 
desire  to  show  off  their  skill,  they  really  perform  sur- 
prising feats.  The  cook  at  Kien-tcheou  gave  us  some 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          213 

most  incontestable  proofs  of  talent,  and  his  dinner  mer- 
ited and  received  the  praises  of  all  the  guests.  During 
the  whole  day,  the  Mandarins  of  Kien-tcheou  behaved 
in  the  most  admirable  manner,  and  on  the  following 
morning  we  resolved,  by  way  of  return,  to  afford  them 
the  satisfaction  of  seeing  us  go  away.  We  parted  most 
excellent  friends,  but  without  any  very  particular  wish 
to  meet  again. 

The  roads  that  we  now  traversed  were  far  from  being 
equal  to  those  in  the  environs  of  Tching-tou-fou,  and  in- 
deed the  system  of  roads  in  China  is  far  from  being  per- 
fect. The  communication  by  land  is  generally  inconven- 
ient, and  often  dangerous. 

In  the  neighborhood  of  the  great  towns  the  roads  are 
sufficiently  wide,  but  by  degrees  as  you  advance  they 
grow  narrower,  till  at  last  they  sometimes  vanish  alto- 
gether. Then  the  travelers  make  their  way  wherever 
they  can,  through  fields,  quagmires,  and  rocky  barren 
tracts. 

If  you  come  to  a  brook  over  which  the  local  govern- 
ment has  not  thought  proper  to  make  a  bridge,  you 
must  take  off  your  shoes  and  stockings  and  wade 
through  it.  But  very  often  you  find  some  poor  creat- 
ures stationed  on  the  banks,  who  make  a  business  of 
carrying  travelers  on  their  shoulders,  from  one  side  to 
the  other,  for  the  value  of  a  few  sapecks.  All  this 
route,  nevertheless,  still  bears  the  name  of  a  great  high 
road. 

This  deplorable  state  of  things  has  not  always  exist- 
ed in  China ;  formerly,  it  appears,  there  were  means  of 
communication  that  left  nothing  to  desire,  and  in  almost 
all  the  provinces  you  may  still  see  remains 'of  these  fine 
roads,  paved  with  broad  flag-stones,  and  bordered  with 
magnificent  trees.  In  the  Annals,  especial  mention  is 
made  of  the  superb  roads  that,  under  the  Song  dynasty, 


214  JOUKNKY    TJIKUL'UII   THE   CllINKSK    KMl'IKE. 

traversed  the  Empire  from  one  end  to  the  other ;  and 
the  dynasty  of  Yuen  added  to  this  an  admirable  system 
of  canals,  that  increased  still  more  the  facility  of  travel- 
ing, and  the  transport  of  merchandise.  But  these  great 
works  have  "been  abandoned  under  the  Mantchou-Tartar 
Emperors,  who,  instead  of  maintaining  them,  have  even 
hastened  their  destruction.  Trees  have  been  cut  down, 
flag-stones  torn  up,  and  the  land  annexed  to  the  neigh- 
boring fields ;  indeed,  with  the  system  of  pillage  that 
prevails  at  present  all  over  the  Empire,  we  were  almost 
surprised  to  find  a  single  tree  standing,  or  a  flag-stone 
in  its  place.  The  canals  have  suffered  less,  and  the 
government  has  even  occasionally  taken  some  pains  to 
maintain  them.  They  are,  however,  rapidly  deteriora- 
ting; the  famous  Imperial  canal,  which  traverses  the 
Empire  from  north  to  south,  is  dry  the  greater  part  of 
the  year,  and  scarcely  serves  any  other  purpose  than 
that  of  transporting  the  tributes  of  corn  and  other  natu- 
ral productions  to  the  public  granaries  at  Pekin. 

At  the  distance  of  one  day's  journey  from  Kien-tcheou, 
the  road  becomes  mountainous  and  irregular,  and  the 
country  less  beautiful  and  less  rich.  The  aspect  of  the 
population,  too,  is  no  longer  the  same;  their  appearance 
is  rougher  and  coarser,  and  their  manners  are  by  no 
means  so  polished.  The  dilapidation  of  the  farms  and 
the  dirtiness  of  the  villages  show  that  the  condition  of 
the  people  is  less  prosperous. 

The  mountains,  nevertheless,  have  nothing  wild  and 
rugged  in  their  aspect ;  their  summits  are  crowned  with 
flowers,  and  their  slopes  and  valleys  present  abundant 
harvests  of  Jcao-leang  maize,  sugar-cane,  and  tobacco. 
.The  kao-leang  is  a  variety  of  the  JIolcus  Sorghum,  of 
which  we  in  France  make  nothing  but  brooms ;  but  it 
is  cultivated  on  a  large  scale,  and  with  great  care,  in 
China.  'It  attains  an  astonishing  size;  its  stalks  are 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.  215 

solid  enough  to  be  used  with  advantage  in  the  construc- 
tion of  farm-houses  and  palings ;  the  ears  furnish  a  con- 
siderable quantity  of  large  seeds,  which  the  poor  eat  in- 
stead of  rice ;  and  from  which,  by  distillation,  a  liquor 
may  be  obtained  containing  a  large  proportion  of  alco- 
hol. The  Chinese  attach  in  general  little  importance  to 
the  culture  of  maize,  and  it  is  almost  always  of  indiffer- 
ent quality.  They  gather  the  ears  before  they  are  com- 
pletely ripe,  and  when  they  are  still  quite  milky,-  and 
devour  them  thus,  after  slight  roasting.  Sugar  is  very 
common  in  China,  and  is  obtained  from  the  cane,  which 
grows  luxuriantly  in  the  southern  provinces ;  but  the 
Chinese  do  not  know  how  to-  purify  it  and  give  it  the 
whiteness  and  brilliancy  it  obtains  in  the  European  re- 
fineries. Their  factories  deliver  it  in  the  state  of  moist 
sugar,  or  simply  crystalized.  The  cultivation  of  tobacco 
is  immense,  although  this  plant,  which  is  at  present 
spread  over  the  whole  surface  of  the  globe,  and  is  in  use 
among  all  nations,  even  those  least  in  contact  with  civil- 
ized life,  was  not  known  in  China,  it  is  said,  till  a  very 
recent  period.  It  is  stated  to  have  been  imported  into 
the  Central  Empire  by  the  Mantchous ;  and  the  Chinese 
were  much  astonished  when  they  first  saw  their  con- 
querors inhaling  fire  through  long  tubes,  and  "eating 
smoke."  It  cost  them  a  good  deal  to  imitate  the  accom- 
plishment ;  but  now  they  are  passionately,  enthusiast- 
ically devoted  to  it.  By  a  curious  coincidence  this  plant 
is  called  in  the  Mantchou  language  tambdkou,  but  the 
Chinese  designate  it  simply  by  the  word  meaning  smoke, 
Thus  they  say  they  cultivate  in  their  fields  the  "  smoke 
leaf;"  they  chew  smoke,  and  they  name  their  pipe  the 
"smoke  funnel." 

The  use  of  tobacco  has  become  universal  through- 
out the  Empire ;  men,  women,  children,  every  body 
smokes,  almost  without  ceasing.  They  go  about  their 


216          JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

daily  business,  cultivate  the  fields,  ride  on  horseback, 
and  write,  constantly  with  the  pipe  in  their  mouths. 
During  their  meals,  if  they  stop  for  a  moment  it  is  to 
smoke  a  pipe ;  and  if  they  wake  in  the  night,  they  arc 
\.  sure  to  amuse  themselves  in  the  same  way.  It  may  be 
easily  supposed,  therefore,  that  in  a  country  containing 
300,000,000  of  smokers,  without  counting  the  tribes 
of  Tartary  and  Thibet,  who  lay  in  their  stocks  in  the 
Chinese  markets,  the  culture  of  tobacco  has  become 
very  important.  The  cultivation  is  entirely  free,  every 
one  being  at  liberty  to  plant  it  in  his  garden,  or  in  the 
open  fields,  in  whatever  quantity  he  chooses,  and  after- 
ward to  sell  it,  wholesale  or  retail,  just  as  he  likes, 
without  the  Government  interfering  with  him  in  the 
.slightest  degree.  The  most  celebrated  tobacco  is  that 
obtained  in  Leao-tong,  in  Mantchuria,  and  in  the  pro- 
vince of  Sse-tchouen.  The  leaves,  before  becoming  ar- 
ticles of  commerce,  undergo  various  preparatory  pro- 
cesses, according  to  the  practice  of  the  locality.  In  the 
south  they  cut  them  into  extremely  fine  filaments ;  the 
people  of  the  north  content  themselves  with  drying  them, 
and  rubbing  them  up  coarsely,  and  then  stuff  them  at 
once  into  their  pipes. 

Snuff-takers  are  less  numerous  in  China  than  smok- 
ers ;  tobacco  in  powder,  or,  as  the  Chinese  say,  "  smoke 
for  the  nose,"  is  little  used  except  by  the  Mantchou 
Tartars  and  Mongols,  and  among  the  Mandarins  and 
lettered  classes.  The  Tartars  are  real  amateurs,  and 
snuff  is  with  them  an  object  of  the  most  important  con- 
sideration. For  the  Chinese  aristocracy,  on  the  con- 
trary, it  is  a  mere  luxury — a  habit  that  they  try  to  ac- 
quire— a  whim.  The  custom  of  taking  snuff  was  intro- 
duced into  China  by  the  old  missionaries,  who  resided 
^  at  the  court.  They  used  to  get  the  snuff  from  Europe 
for  themselves,  and  some  of  the  Mandarins  tried  it,  and 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.  217 

found  it  good.  By  degrees  the  custom  spread ;  people 
who  wished  to  appear  fashionable  liked  to  be  seen  tak- 
ing this  "smoke  for  the  nose,"  and  Pekin  is  still,  par 
excellence,  the  locality  of  snuff-takers.  The  first  dealers 
in  it  made  immense  fortunes.  The  French  tobacco  was 
the  most  esteemed ;  and  as  it  happened  at  this  time 
that  it  had  for  a  stamp  the  ancient  emblem  of  the  three 
fleur  de  Us,  the  mark  has  never  been  forgotten ;  and  the 
three  fleur  de  Us  are  still  in  Pekin  the.  only  sign  of  a 
dealer  in  tobacco. 

The  Chinese  have  now  for  a  long  time  manufactured 
their  own  snuff;  but  they  do  not  subject  it  to  any  fer- 
mentation, and  it  is  not  worth  much.  They  merely 
pulverize  the  leaves,  sift  the  powder  till  it  is  as  fine  as 
Hour,  and  afterward  perfume  it  with  flowers  and  es- 
sences. The  Chinese  snuff-boxes  are  little  vials  made 
of  crystal,  porcelain,  or  precious  stones.  They  are  some- 
times very  elegant  in  their  form,  and  are  cut  with  great 
taste  and  sold  at  immense  prices.  A  little  silver  or  ivory- 
spatula,  with  which  the  pinch  is  taken  out,  is  fitted  to 
the  stopper. 

The  sun  had  not  quite  set  when  we  arrived  at 
Tchoung-king,  a  town  of  the  first  order,  and,  after 
Tching-tou-fou,  the  most  important  of  the  province  of 
Sse-tchouen;  it  is  advantageously  situated  on  the  left 
bank  of  the  Blue  River.  On  the  other  side,  opposite  to 
Tchoung-king,  is  another  great  town,  which  would  only 
make  one  with  the  first  mentioned,  but  for  the  great 
breadth  of  the  river.  It  is  a  great  centre  of  commence, 
and  a  depot  for  the  merchandise  of  almost  all  the  prov- 
inces of  the  Empire. 

There  is  also  here  a  numerous  and  flourishing  Chris- 
tian community,  as  the  Embassador  Ki-chan,  and  the 
Viceroy  Pao-king,  had  already  informed  us.  We  ex- 
pected consequently  to  receive  visits  from  the  principal 
VOL.  I.— K 


218          JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

Cliristians,  as  they  could  not  fail  to  have  been  aware  of 
our  arrival,  but  no  one  appeared.  In  the  evening  we 
expressed  our  surprise  at  this  to  Master  Ting,  who  thru 
admitted  that  in  fact  a  great  number  of  persons  had 
presented  themselves,  but  that  they  had  not  been  per- 
mitted to  enter,  as  they  wore  no  costume  of  ceremony, . 
and  had  the  appearance  of  being  tiresome,  vulgar  peo-' 
pie.  "They  did  say,  indeed,"  added  he,  "that  they 
belonged  to  your  illustrious  and  sublime  religion,  the 
religion  of  the  Lord  of  Heaven,  but  we  did  not  believe 
them." 

The  guardians  of  the  communal  palace  were  cer- 
tainly in  some  measure  to  blame  in  this  matter;  but 
we  did  not  wish  to  complain,  as  it  was  possible  they 
might  think  themselves  in  the  right.  It  had  been 
agreed,  in  order  to  protect  us  from  the  annoyance  of 
incessant  crowds  of  visitors,  that  no  one  should  be  ad- 
mitted to  us  in  the  communal  palaces  without  their 
observing  all  the  forms  and  ceremonies  prescribed  by 
the  Rites  for  official  visits  of  etiquette.  In  the  "Me- 
langes" of  Oriental  literature  by  M.  Abel  Remusat, 
some  tolerably  exact  details  are  given  concerning  the 
manner  of  making  ceremonious  visits  in  China,  borrow- 
ed from  a  Chinese  manuscript  in  the  Imperial  library. 

"  Much  has  been  said  concerning  Chinese  politeness, 
the  formalities  which  it  imposes  every  moment,  and  on 
the  smallest  occasions.  It  has  been  asserted,  not  quite 
without  truth,  that,  in  accordance  with  these,  a  con- 
versation between  men  not  connected  by  friendship  be- 
comes a  mere  preconcerted  dialogue,  in  which  each  re- 
peats a  part  he  has  learnt  by  heart ;  but  the  specimens 
of  this  polite  dialogue  that  have  been  inserted  in  some 
accounts-  are  not  in  general  very  accurate.  Those  which 
Fourmont  has  given,  after  Father  Varo,  are  full  of  or- 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          219 

ror.  Although  most  people  know  something  of  the  ex- 
aggerated forms  of  expression,  which  among  ancient 
nations  appear  to  be  the  product  of  long-continued  hab- 
its of  social  life,  it  is  still  curious  to  see  in  detail  how 
far  it  is  possible  to  carry  these  refinements  of  urbanity, 
by  which  every  one  endeavors  to  show  his  own  good 
breeding." 

To  judge  of  this  point  as  relating  to  the  Chinese,  we 
must  translate  literally  the  customary  forms  of  speech ; 
and  in  order  to  compare  the  manners  of  different  na- 
tions, in  this  respect,  we  must  have  an  exact  interpreta- 
tion of  a  Chinese  conversation.  But  I  will  first  explain 
the  general  principles  of  visiting,  for  a  matter  of  this 
importance  deserves  to  be  treated  methodically. 

It  is  a  custom  in  China,  as  it  is  in  Europe,  to  get  rid 
of  a  visitor  you  do  not  wish  to  see,  by  saying  you  are 
not  at  home,  without  being  over  anxious  that  he  should 
really  believe  it ;  or  you  have  it  stated  that  you  are  in- 
disposed, overwhelmed  with  business,  and  so  on.  The 
servants  are  instructed,  on  such  occasions,  to  take  the 
visiting  cards,  and  inquire  the  addresses  of  the  visitors, 
in  order  that  the  master  may,  in  a  few  days,  return  the 
visits  he  has  not  received. 

In  a  Chinese  romance  there  is  a  scene  of  three  lettered 
Chinese,  who  are  amusing  themselves  with  making  verses, 
and  drinking  warm  wine,  when  a  very  troublesome  and 
disagreeable  old  Mandarin  is  announced. 

"  Stupid  fellow,"  says  the  master  to  his  servant ; 
"  why  didn't  you  say  I  was  not  at  home  ?" 

"I  did,"  replies  the  servant,  "but  he  saw  the  palan- 
quins of  these  two  noble  visitors  before  the  door,  and  he 
would  not  believe  me." 

.     Thereupon  the  master  rises,  puts  on  his  cap  of  cere- 


•JiiO          .loriJNKY   THROUGH   THE  CHINKSK    K.MI'IKE. 

mony,  and  runs  with  affected  eagerness  to  meet  the  dis- 
agreeable visitor,  whom  he  overwhelms  with  compli- 
ments, while  the  two  learned  guests,  who  detest  him, 
vie  with  the  master  of  the  house  in  their  polite  welcome. 
Would  any  one  believe  that  this  scene,  which  is  well 
described,  was  represented  as  passing  at  a  hundred  and 
four  degrees  of  longitude  from  Paris  ? 

He  who  intends  paying  a  visit  usually  sends  a  serv- 
ant some  hours  before,  with  a  note  to  the  person  he 
wishes  to  see,  to  inquire  whether  he  is  at  home,  and  to 
beg  him  not  to  go  out  if  he  has  leisure  to  receive  the 
visit.  This  is  a  mark  of  deference  and  respect  for  those 
whom  you  wish  to  see  in  their  own  houses.  The  note 
is  on  a  sheet  of  red  paper,  larger  or  smaller  according  to 
the  rank  and  dignity  of  the  persons,  and  the  degree  of 
respect  to  be  testified.  The  paper  is  folded  once  or 
twice,  and  you  only  write  on  the  second  page,  in  such 
words  as  these,  "Your  disciple,  or  your  younger  brother, 
So-and-so,  has  come  to  bow  his  head  to  the  ground  be- 
fore you,  and  to  offer  you  his  respects." 

This  phrase  is  written  in  very  large  letters  when  you 
wish  to  mingle  a  certain  air  of  stateliness  with  your 
courtesy ;  and  the  characters  become  smaller  and  small- 
er in  proportion  to  the  interest  that  one  has  in  appear- 
ing humble  and  respectful. 

This  note  having  been  presented  to  the  porter,  if  the 
master  accepts  the  visit,  he  replies,  verbally,  "It  will 
give  me  pleasure,  and  I  beg  him  to  come."  If  you  are 
busy,  or  have  some  reason  for  not  receiving  the  visit, 
the  answer  is — "  I  am  much  obliged ;  I  thank  him  for 
•the  trouble  he  proposes  to  take."  But  if  the  visitor  be 
a  person  of  superior  rank,  it  is — "My  lord  does  me  an 
honor  that  I  had  not  dared  to  hope  for." 

These  sorts  of  visits  are  seldom  declined  in  China. 

If  no  note  has  been  received  to  announce  the  visit. 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          221 

which  only  happens  with  common  people,  or  in  case  of 
pressing  business,  the  visitor  may  be  requested  to  wait, 
but  he  is  to  be  told  what  occupation  prevents  the  host 
from  receiving  him :  "  My  master  begs  you  to  be  seated 
for  a  moment — he  is  combing  his  hair — or  dressing  him- 
self." But  if  the  visit  has  been  announced  previously 
by  a  note,  the  master  of  the  house  must  put  on  fine 
clothes,  and  hold  himself  in  readiness  .  to  receive  the 
guests  at  the  door  of  the  house,  or  as  he  alights  from 
his  palanquin,  saying,  "I  beg  you  to  enter."  The  two 
leaves  of  the  centre  door  must  be  opened,  for  it  would 
be  impolite  to  allow  the  guest  to  enter  by  a  side  one. 
Great  people  have  their  palanquins  carried  in,  or  even 
ride  in  on  horseback  to  the  foot  of  the  staircase,  which 
leads  to  the  hall  of  reception.  The  master  of  the  house 
then  places  himself  at  their  right  hand,  and  afterward 
passes  to  their  left,  saying,  "  I  beg  you  to  go  first,"  and 
accompanies  them,  keeping,  always  a  little  behind. 

In  a  room  where  company  is  received,  the  seats  ought 
to  be  arranged  in  two  parallel  lines,  one  before  the  other. 
In  entering  you  begin,  from  the  very  bottom  of  the 
room,  to  make  your  bows — that  is  to  say,  you  turn  to- 
ward your  host,  making  one  step  backward,  and  bow 
till  your  hands,  which  are  kept  clasped,  touch  the 
ground.  In  the  provinces  of  the  south  of  China,  the 
south  side  is  the  most  honorable ;  but  in  the  north  it 
is  quite  the  contrary.  Of  course,  the  most  honorable 
side  is  to  be  offered  to  the  guest ;  but  he,  by  an  ingen- 
ious piece  of  courtesy,  may  in  two  words  change  the 
state  of  things,  and  say,  Pe  li,  that  is,  "  We  are  now 
observing  the  ceremony  of  the  north  country,"  which 
implies,  "  I  hope  that  in  placing  me  to  the  sputh  you 
are  assigning  me  the  least  distinguished  place." 

But  the  master  of  the  house  politely  hastens  to  frus- 
trate the  humble  intentions  of  his  guest,  by  saying, 


222          JOURNEY  THROUGH   TIIK   rillNKSr   KMI'IIJE. 

Nan  li,  "Not  at  all,  sir;  it  is  the  ceremony  of  the 
south,  and  you  are,  therefore,  in  your  proper  place." 
Sometimes  the  visitor  himself  affects  to  take  the  least 
honorable,  but  then  the  host  excuses  himself,  saying,  "I 
should  not  dare ;"  and,  passing  before  his  guest,  taking 
care  not  to  turn  his  back  on  him,  he  proceeds  to  his 
proper  position,  a  little  behind.  Then  they  both  bow, 
and  if  the  master  of  the  house  has  any  relations  who 
live  with  him,  the  bows  have  to  be  repeated  as  many 
times  as  there  are  persons  to  salute.  These  manoeuvres 
last  for  some  time,  and  as  long  as  they  do,  nothing  else 
is  said  than  Pou-kan, pou-kan,  "I  should  not  dare." 

One  piece  of  politeness,  which  is  the  due  of  great 
people,  and  which  does  not  displease  those  of  inferior 
rank,  is  to  cover  the  chairs  with  little  carpets  made  on 
purpose.  Then  there  are  more  antics  to  be  performed. 
The  guest  refuses  to  take  the  chair  of  state  ;  the  host 
insists ;  he  makes  a  feint  of  wiping  the  chair  with  the 
skirt  of  his  robe ;  and  the  stranger  does  the  same  for 
the  chair  that  he  is  to  occupy :  finally,  the  guest  bows 
to  his  chair  before  sitting  down,  and  neither  party  takes 
his  place  till  he  has  exhausted  all  the  resources  of  cere- 
mony and  good  education. 

Scarcely  are  you  seated  before  the  servants  bring  the 
tea,  in  little  porcelain  cups  ranged  on  a  tea-board  of 
varnished  wood.  Among  rich  people,  tea-pots  are  not 
used,  but  the  quantity  of  tea  required  is  put  into  the 
cup,  and  the  boiling  water  poured  upon  it.  The  in- 
fusion is  highly  scented,  but  is  taken  without  sugar. 
The  master  of  the  house  approaches  the  most  import- 
ant of  his  guests,  saying,  as  he  touches  the  tea-board, 
Tsing-tcha,*"  I  invite  you  to  take  tea,"  and  then  every 
one  advances  to  take  his  cup.  The  master  takes  one  in 
both  hands,  and  presents  it  to  the  most  distinguished 
guest,  who  receives  it  also  with  both  hands.  The  rest 


JOURXEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          223 

of  the  company  take  their  cups,  and  drink  together, 
though  inviting  each  other,  by  gestures  to  drink  first. 
When  every  one  is  served,  the  visitors,  holding  their 
cups  in  both  hands,  bow  to  the  ground,  taking  care  not 
to  spill  the  smallest  drop  of  the  tea,  which  Avould  be 
very  indecorous ;  and  to  lessen  the  liability  to  such  an 
accident  the  cups  are  only  half  rilled.  The  most  ele-> 
gant  manner  of  serving  tea  is  to  give  with  it  a  little' 
dried  sweetmeat  and  a  small  spoon  used  only  for  this 
purpose.  The  guests  drink  their  tea  at  many  sips,  and 
very  slowly,  though  all  together,  in  order  to  be  ready 
at  the  same  moment  to  put  down  their  cups.  However 
hot  it  may  be,  you  must  not  exhibit  any  annoyance,  but 
politely  burn  your  throat  or  your  fingers. 

When  the  weather  is  very  warm,  the  master  of  the 
house,  as  soon  as  the  tea  is  drunk,  takes  his  fan,  and, 
holding  it  in  both  hands,  bows  to  the  company,  as  if  to 
say,  Tsing-chen,  "  I  invite  you  to  make  use  of  your 
fans."  Every  one,  accordingly,  takes  his  fan  ;  and  it 
would  be  exceedingly  rude  not  to  bring  one  with  you, 
as  you  would  then  prevent  others  from  using  theirs. 

The  conversation  must  always  begin  on  indifferent, 
and  mostly  insignificant,  subjects,  and  this  is,  perhaps, 
the  most  difficult  part  of  the  ceremonial.  In  China  you 
generally  have  to  pass  about  two  hours  in  saying  no- 
thing, and  then,  at  the  end  of  the  visit,  you  explain  in 
three  words  what  really  brings  you  there. 

The  visitor  rises  and  says,  "I  have  been  troublesome 
to  you  a  very  long  time ;"  and,  doubtless,  of  all  Chinese 
compliments,  this  is  the  one  that  most  frequently  ap- 
proaches the  truth. 

Before  leaving  the  room,  you  bow  in  the  same  man- 
ner as  on  entering  it,  the  master  keeping  to  the  left  and 
a  little  behind,  and  following  as  far  as  the  horse  or  the 
palanquin.  Before  mounting,  the  stranger  entreats  the 


-1  JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

master  to  leave  him,  that  he  may  not  be  guilty  of  so 
great  a  disrespect  as  turning  his  back;  but  the  other 
contents  himself  with  turning  half  round,  that  he  may 
not  see  him  mount.  When  the  visitor  is  seated  on  his 
horse,  or  that  his  bearers  have  raised  the  poles  of  his 
palanquin,  the  tsing-leao,  or  adieu,  is  exchanged,  and 
this  is  the  last  civility. 

Such  is  the  almost  invariable  order  observed  in  visits 
between  people  of  equal  condition,  though  of  course  it 
is  liable  to  modification,  according  to  particular  circum- 
stances, such  as  the  rank,  the  age,  the  occupation,  the 
amount  of  personal  distinction,  etc.  A  volume  might  be 
written  to  describe  all  the  variations,  and  it  may  easily 
be  supposed  that  in  China  such  books  have  not  been 
wanting.  On  the  whole,  however,  it  is  easier  to  be 
polite  in  China  than  elsewhere,  as  politeness  is  subject 
to  more  fixed  regulations,  and  every  one  knows  what  he 
lias  to  do  in  any  given  situation.  It  is,  of  course,  a 
great  restraint,  but  still  it  has  its  advantages. 

The  degree  of  etiquette  that  we  had  adopted,  in  con- 
formity to  the  advice  of  the  viceroy,  prescribed  to  our 
visitors  to  send  in  advance  a  card  of  large  dimensions, 
and  when  they  came,  to  present  themselves  in  full 
dress.  By  this  means,  we  were  enabled  to  avoid  many 
troublesome  visits,  without  exposing  ourselves  to  the 
charge  of  rudeness.  We  regretted,  however,  to  find 
that  this  plan  kept  away  the  Christians,  whom  our 
Mandarins  took  care  not  to  inform  previously  of  the 
conditions  required,  in  order  to  be  received. 

We  explained  to  Master  Ting  how  glad  we  should 
be  to  see  the  worshipers  of  the  Lord  of  Heaven,  and 
we  begged  him  to  use  his  good  offices  to  bring  us  to- 
gether ;  but  as  we  had  no  great  reliance  on  his  wish  to 
oblige  us,  we  endeavored  to  adopt,  on  our  own  parts, 
some  more  effectual  means. 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          225 

The  night  that  we  passed  at  Tchoung-king  was 
marked  by  an  incident  so  strange  and  fantastic,  that 
the  narration  of  it  might  A'ery  well  pass  for  a  ghost 
story.  We  declare,  therefore,  beforehand,  that  it  is 
not  a  fiction,  and  that  we  were  not  the  victims  of  any 
hallucination.  We  were  in  bed,  and  sound  asleep,  when 
we  seemed  to  hear,  as  if  in  a  dream,  a  measured  and 
sonorous  sound,  moving  at  intervals  through  the  courts, 
the  gardens,  and  the  different  apartments  of  the  com- 
munal palace.  The  sound  seemed  sometimes  far  off, 
and  sometimes  in  our  own  room.  We  thought  we 
could  distinguish  a  slight  crackling  of  the  bamboo  mats, 
as  by  the  steps  of  some  one  walking  cautiously,  so  as 
not  to  be  heard ;  sometimes  we  seemed  to  be  in  a 
strong  light,  then,  again,  in  profound  darkness  ;  a  voice 
that  was  turned  toward  our  ear  articulated  some  words 
that  we  could  not  make  out,  and  then  the  peculiar 
measured  sound  moved  away,  to  approach  us  again 
after  a  time.  We  were  still  quite  asleep,  but  with 
something  of  the  oppressive  feeling  of  a  nightmare,  for, 
notwithstanding  all  our  efforts,  we  could  not  either 
open  our  eyes  or  utter  a  word.  -At  length  we  felt  some- 
thing like  a  blow  on  the  shoitlder,  and  afterward  a  vio- 
lent shock,  that  awakened  us  at  once  with  a  start,  and 
we  found  ourselves  surrounded  by  a  dazzling  light,  and 
saw  opposite  us  a  hideous  face  that  began  to  laugh, 
and  showed  us  its  long  and  yellow  teeth.  The  spectre 
stretched  out  a  naked  withered  arm,  and  presented  us, 
with  a  grave  air,  a  paper,  on  which  Avere  written  Euro- 
pean characters. 

We  drew  back  instinctively,  and  not  knowing  very 
well  where  we  were.  The  spectre  began  to  laugh  again, 
drew  back  his  arm,  took  in  his  left  hand  the  torch  he 
had  been  holding  in  his  right,  and  made  the  sign  of  the 
Cross.  And  now  that  our  eyes  had  become  capable  of 

K* 


226          JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

distinguishing  objects  a  little  more  clearly,  we  saw  that 
we  had  to  do  with  a  real  living  Chinese,  very  ugly, 
strangely  attired,  and  naked  to  the  waist. 

When  he  saw  that  we  were  awake,  he  bowed  toward 
us,  and  said  in  a  low  voice,  that  he  was  a  Christian,  and 
that  lie  had  brought  us  a  letter  from  Monseigneur  do 
Sinite,  coadjutor  of  the  Vicar  Apostolic  for  the  province 
of  Sse-tchouen.  He  then  lit  a  lamp  that  stood  on  a  lit- 
tle table  by  the  side  of  the  bed ;  we  opened  the  letter 
that  had  reached  us  in  so  curious  and  phantasm agorical 
a  manner,  and  while  we  read,  our  Christian  retired,  and 
began  again  to  pace  the  apartments  of  the  communal 
palace,  striking  the  floor  from  time  to  time  with  a  piece 
of  bamboo.  This  man,  it  appeared,  filled  the  office  of 
night  watchman. 

Monseigneur  Desfleches,  Bishop  of  Sinite,  whom  we 
had  known  at  Macao,  in  1839,  had  his  residence  in  the 
town  of  Tchoung-king.  After  having  expressed  his  re- 
gret at  not  being  able  to  quit  the  retreat  in  which  he  was 
hidden,  to  pay  a  visit  to  his  countrymen,  he  entered  into 
some  details  concerning  the  persecutions  that  the  Cliris- 
tians  were  still  suffering,  notwithstanding  the  edicts  of 
religious  liberty  obtained  by  the  French  Embassador. 
His  lordship  pointed  out  to  us,  that  in  a  town  of  the 
third  order,  called  Tchang-cheou,  in  which  we  were  to 
pass  some  days,  the  first  magistrate  had  just  sent  three 
Christians  to  prison  ;  and  he  gave  us  all  the  information 
necessary  to  claim  their  release,  when  we  should  have 
arrived  in  the  town. 

The  Christian  who  had  brought  us  the  letter  had  taken 
care  to  deposit  some  paper,  a  Chinese  pen  and  an  ink- 
stand on  the  table  by  the  bedside,  and  we  replied  imme- 
diately to  the  communication  of  Monseigneur  Desfleches, 
assuring  him  that  we  would  do  all  that  depended  on  us 
to  obtain  the  release  of  his  dear  prisoners.  We  profited 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.  227 

at  the  same  time  by  this  opportunity,  to  beg  him  to  warn 
the  Christians,  who  might  wish  to  visit  us  at  the  com- 
munal palace,  of  the  necessity  of  conforming  to  the  reg- 
ulations of  "  the  rites." 

We  wrote  this  letter  under  a  feeling  of  the  deepest 
dejection.  A  missionary — a  Frenchman,  one  whom  we 
had  known,  and  had  not  seen  for  so  long — was  here, 
almost  close  to  us,  yet  we  could  not  join  him,  embrace 
him,  nor  converse  with  him  on  any  of  those  topics  that 
tluill  the  soul  of  the  missionary,  such  as  the  sufferings 
of  the  Christians,  the  trials  of  those  who  preach  the 
Gospel,  nor  of  our  country,  that  France,  from  which  we 
had  had  no  news  for  three  years.  So  sweet  a  consola- 
tion was  denied  us,  and  we  were  reduced  merely  to 
writing  a  few  lines  to  him  in  haste  and  secrecy  in  the 
middle  of  the  night. 

In  the  life  of  the  missionary,  hunger,  thirst,  the  in- 
clemencies of  the  seasons,  all  the  tortures  of  the  body, 
are  as  nothing  in  comparison  with  these  moral  sufferings, 
these  privations  of  the  heart,  to  which  it  is  so  difficult 
to  accustom  one's  self.  While  we  were  thus  carrying  on 
this  singular  and  contraband  correspondence,  our  cun- 
ning Christian  continued  his  rounds  through  the  dif- 
ferent quarters  of  the  communal  palace,  not  forgetting 
from  time  to  time  to  strike  with  his  bamboo  instrument 
the  various  watches  of  the  night.  When  we  had  fin- 
ished the  letter,  he  concealed  it  carefully  in  the  folds 
of  his  girdle,  and  tranquilly  resumed  his  march. 

The  Chinese  have,  in  all  circumstances,  an  inexhaust- 
ible store  of  tricks  and  artifices  at  their  disposal,  and 
the  Christians  of  Tchoung-king,  wishing  to  convey  to 
us  secretly  M.  Desfleches's  letter,  had  contrived  to  in- 
troduce one  of  their  number  into  the  palace.  A  poor 
artisan,  an  unlikely  person  to  excite  any  suspicion,  of- 
fered himself  to  the  guardians  in  the  quality  of  night 


•2:>8  JOUKNEY   TIIKOUGH   THE   CHINESE   EMPIRE. 

watchman,  taking  care  to  ask  much  lower  wages  than 
are  commonly  given  to  the  people  who  exercise  this 
kind  of  industry.  The  offer  was  accepted  to  the  great 
satisfaction  of  the  Christians  of  Tchoung-king,  who  were 
glad  to  be  able  to  send  us  the  letter,  and  perhaps  at  the 
same  time  not  sorry  to  play  the  police  a  trick,  for  the 
Chinese  are  fully  awake  to  this  favorite  amusement  of 
old  civilized  nations. 

Night  watchmen  are  much  in  fashion  in  all  the  prov- 
inces of  China ;  they  are  especially  regularly  employed 
in  the  pagodas,  the  tribunals,  and  the  hotels,  and  rich 
private  persons  have  them  also  in  their  service.  These 
men  are  obliged  to  walk  all  night  in  the  places  confided 
to  their  vigilance,  and  to  make  a  noise  by  striking  at 
intervals  on  a  tam-tam  or  an  instrument  of  bamboo. 
The  purpose  of  this  noise  is  politely  to  intimate  to  the 
thieves  that  people  are  on  their  guard,  and  that  conse- 
quently the  moment  is  not  favorable  for  breaking  open 
doors  or  through  walls.  In  some  towns  the  Government 
also  maintains  watchmen  organized  as  a  patrol  to  trav- 
erse the  streets,  maintain  public  tranquillity,  and  give 
notice  in  case  of  fire.  They  stop  for  a  moment  in  each 
quarter,  and  after  having  struck  three  times  on  their 
bronze  tam-tams,  they  cry  in  unison  Lou-chan  lou-hia 
— siao-sin-ho,  that  is  to  say,  "Beware  of  fire  on  the 
ground-floor — beware  of  fire  on  the  upper-floor." 

Fires  are  very  frequent  in  China,  especially  in  the 
southern  provinces,  where  the  houses  are  mostly  built 
of  wood.  The  practice  of  smoking  continually  too,  and 
of  having  fire  almost  always  in  readiness  for  making  tea, 
must  be  the  cause  of  many  accidents ;  indeed,  when 
you  have  lived  some  time  among  them,  and  seen  how 
careless  the  Chinese  are,  and  what  a  disorderly  state 
ilu-ir  houses  arc  in,  you  are  surprised  that  fires  do  not 
happen  oftener. 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.  229 

The  first  thing  they  dread  when  fire  does  break  out, 
however,  is,  not  the  fire,  but  the  thieves,  who  come 
running  in  from  all  quarters,  under  the  pretense  of  ex- 
tinguishing the  fire,  but  really  to  increase  the  confusion, 
forcing  themselves  in  every  where,  and  carrying  off  what- 
ever they  can  lay  hands  on,  as  if  to  snatch  it  from  the 
flames.  It  is  a  regular  pillage,  and  what  people  are 
most  anxious  about  whose  house  is  on  fire,  is  to  prevent 
the  public  from  coming  to  their  assistance.  They  hasten 
to  move  away  their  goods  as  fast  as  they  can,  and  the 
neighbors  are  obliged  to  do  the  same,  for  the  plunderers 
have  the  ready  pretext  of  stopping  the  progress  of  the 
fire,  for  dismantling  the  houses,  and  appropriating  even 
the  very  building  materials,  when  they  can  get  nothing 
else — a  small  profit  is  better  than  none.  It  may  easily 
be 'imagined  what  a  fire  is  with  such  helps  as  these;  a 
few  hours  are  generally  sufficient  for  the  disappearance 
of  two  or  three  hundred  houses. 

In  many  towns,  however,  the  administration  does 
show  some  anxiety  to  stop  these  abominable  attempts. 
They  maintain,  as  we  have  said,  a  patrol  in  the  streets 
to  give  warning.  They  have  large  tubs  standing  filled 
with  water,  and  there  even  exist  in  some  places  a  more 
or  less  well  organized  body  of  firemen. 

The  moment  a  fire  is  perceived  to  have  broken  out,  it 
is  the  duty  of  the  Mandarins  to  repair  to  the  spot,  with 
this  troop,  and  the  agents  of  police,  in  order  to  drive 
away  the  populace,  who  seem  always  disposed  by  in- 
stinct to  become  transformed  into  a  band  of  robbers. 
The  Chinese  fire-engines  are  constructed  very  much  like 
our  own,  but  they  bear  the  name  of  "Aquatic,  or  Ma- 
rine Dragon" — loung  or  yang  loung. 

The  word  yang  loung  might,  perhaps,  be  more  cor- 
rectly translated  European  Dragon,  which  would  tend 
to  show  that  they  are  of  European  importation,  and  that 


JOUKNEY   THROUGH   THE   CHINESE   K.Ml'IRK. 

the  Chinese  can  sometimes  be  prevailed  on  to  adopt  the 
customs  of  foreign  countries. 

One  thing  that  always  excited  our  admiration  was 
the  surprising  activity  with  which  the  Chinese  begin  to 
rebuild  their  houses  after  they  have  been  burned  down. 
Scarcely  have  the  firemen  disappeared,  than  the  masons 
and  carpenters  take  possession  of  the  still  smoking 
ground.  They  are  not,  however,  usually  the  same  pro- 
prietors who  rebuild  houses ;  these  are  mostly  ruined, 
and  vanish,  going  wherever  they  can ;  but  such  is  the 
eagerness  for  trade  and  speculation  in  this  country,  that, 
while  the  flames  are  still  devouring  the  houses,  a  crowd 
of  purchasers  present  themselves  to  buy  the  ground,  and 
build  new  ones ;  and  the  contract  »of  sale  is  drawn  up 
almost  by  the  light  of  the  fire. 

Immediately  the  ground  is  cleared,  as  if  by  enchant- 
ment; and  it  is  usual  to  carry  the  rubbish  to  the  spot 
where  the  fire  first  broke  out,  and  heap  it  up  there, 
throwing  the  expense  of  clearing  it  off  upon  the  person 
whom  the  law  supposes  guilty  of  negligence,  and  there- 
fore ordains  this  practice  as  his  punishment.  You  fre- 
quently see  in  the  interior  of  towns  great  heaps  of  ruins 
that  have  no  other  origin  than  this. 

We  left  Tchoung-king  rather  late  on  the  following 
morning,  to  go  and  pass  the  day  at  the  neighboring 
town.  We  had  only  to  cross  the  Blue  River,  though 
it  was  possible  that  its  very  rapid  current  might  pre- 
sent some  difficulties ;  but  we  arrived  quite  safely  at 
the  other  side,  and  Master  Ting  did  not  fail  to  claim  all 
the  merit  of  the  success.  He  had  made  choice,  he  said, 
of  a  boat  of  the  most  perfect  construction,  and  boatmen 
of  tried  intelligence ;  moreover,  he  had  repeated  litanies 
to  Kao-wang  all  the  time  he  was  smoking  his  opium ; 
and  Kao-wang,  in  return,  had  commanded  the  river  to 
carry  us  quietly  over. 


JOURNEY  THROUGH   THE   CHINESE  EMPIRE.          231 

Our  little  adventure  at  Kien-tcheou  had,  it  seems, 
made  some  noise,  and  the  Mandarins,  seeing  that  we 
were  not  inclined  to  favor  their  manoeuvres  at  our  own 
expense,  thought  proper  to  submit.  As  soon  as  we 
got  to  Tchoung-king,  we  could  perceive  the  good  ef- 
fects of  our  firmness.  We  found  the  communal  palace 
completely  ready,  and  in  full  trim,  and  every  one  en- 
deavoring to  make  themselves  agreeable  ;  so  that,  of 
course,  we  did  what  we  could  to  reward  this  friendly 
attention,  by  taking  ourselves  away  again  as  quickly  as 
possible. 

The  authorities  here  added  to  our  escort  a  military 
Mandarin  and  eight  soldiers  ;  and  they  did  not  fail  to 
inform  the  people  in  the  town  that  they  did  so  in  or- 
der to  increase  the  grandeur  of  our  appearance,  or,  as 
they  say  in  China,  "  to  display  the  character  of  haughty 
majesty." 

We  thanked  the  prefect  for  his  courtesy,  and  left  him 
all  the  merit  of  his  pretended  generosity,  though  we 
knew  that  the  measure  had  really  been  ordered  by  the 
viceroy  on  account  of  the  gangs  of  thieves  that  infest 
the  road  we  were  about  to  traverse,  as  far  as  the  bound- 
aries of  the  province.  The  new  Mandarin  was  one 
of  the  heroes  of  the  famous  expedition  sent  to  Canton 
against  the  English  in  1842 ;  but,  although  he  had 
been  engaged  in  the  war  against  the  "  Western  Devils," 
his  appearance  was  not  very  warlike.  He  had  a  loose, 
shambling  gait,  a  face  that  looked  as  if  it  were  made  of 
papier  mac/ie,  and  a  mouth  always  foolishly  half  open. 
As  there  was,  too,  a  considerable  amount  of  self-import- 
ance in  his  manners,  we  had  some  suspicion  that  we 
should  not  get  on  very  well  together.  From  our  very 
first  interview,  on  the  strength  of  having,  during  his  stay 
at  Canton,  often  taken  a  walk  before  the  European  fac- 
tories, he  gave  himself  such  airs  of  familiarity,  that  we 


-:;ii          .inCKNT.Y   T1I1:OUGH   THE  CIIINKSK   KMl'IRK. 

were  obliged  to  recall  him  to  the  observance  of  the 
llites. 

After  leaving  the  banks  of  the  Blue  River,  we  arrived 
at  Tchang-cheou-hien,  a  town  of  the  third  order.  This 
was  where  the  three  Christians  of  whom  M.  Desflechcs 
had  spoken  were  imprisoned.  As  soon  as  we  were  in- 
BtaUed  in  the  communal  palace,  the  prefect  of  the  town 
came  with  all  his  staff  to  pay  us  a  visit  according  to 
the  established  rules.  We  received  him  with  all  pos- 
sible solemnity,  in  presence  of  our  Mandarin  conductors ; 
and  when  we  had  exhausted  the  commonplaces  of  con- 
versational etiquette,  we  inquired  whether  there  were 
many  Christians  in  the  district.  "  They  are  very  nume- 
rous," he  replied.  • 

"Are  they  worthy  people — endeavoring  to  improve 
their  hearts  and  to  live  according  to  the  precepts  of 
Christian  virtue  ?"  "  How  can  the  people  be  otherwise 
than  good  who  follow  your  holy  doctrine?"  "You 
are  right ;  those  who  follow  faithfully  the  doctrine  of 
the  Lord  of  Heaven  can  not  fail  to  be  virtuous  men. 
Your  great  Emperor,  in  an  edict  that  he  addressed  to 
all  the  tribunals,  has  proclaimed  that  the  Christian  re- 
ligion has  no  other  object  than  to  teach  men  to  fly  from 
what  is  evil  and  to  practice  what  is  good.  He  per- 
mits his  subjects,  therefore,  throughout  the  extent  of 
the  empire  to  follow  this  religion ;  and  he  forbids  all 
Mandarins,  great  or  small,  to  seek  after  or  persecute 
the  Christians.  Doubtless,  the  Imperial  edict  has  reach- 
ed the  town,  and  you  are  acquainted  with  it  ?"  "  The 
will  of  the  Emperor  is  like  the  heat  and  light  of  the  sun 
— it  penetrates  every  where ;  it  has  reached  even  this 
poor  town." 

"  So  we  supposed ;  but  the  common  people,  in  their 
moments  of  idleness,  like  to  invent  silly  stories,  quite 
without  reason ;  and  they  pretend,  that  in  the  tribunal 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          233 

| 

of  Tchang-cheou-liien,  you  pay  no  respect  to  the  Im- 
perial will.  Foolish  tongues  have  even  gone  so  far  as 
to  say  that  three  Christians  of  the  town  of  Tchang- 
cheou-hien  have  been  arrested  within  these  few  days, 
and  are  now  shut  up  in  your  tribunal.  What  are  we 
;to  think  of  these  rumors  ?"  "  That  they  are  idle  and 
false.  The  people  of  these  countries  are  given  to  lying, 
and  one  must  pay  no  attention  to  what  they  say.  It  is 
well  known  that  the  Cliristians  are  most  virtuous  men. 
Who,  then,  should  dare  to  put  them  in  prison,  espe- 
cially after  the  edict  that  the  Emperor  has  issued  ?" 

"It  is  indeed  difficult  to  believe  that  a  man  like  you 
could  be  guilty  of  such  a  rash  action." 

"  The  wise  listen  to  the  talk  of  the  multitude,  but 
they  know  how  to  discern  truth  from  falsehood." 

After  this  aphorism,  we  returned  to  the  common- 
places again,  to  the  great  satisfaction  of  the  prefect, 
who  was,  doubtless,  pluming  himself  in  his  own  mind 
on  having  so  completely  mystified  us.  He  retired  quite 
in  a  state  of  self-glorification,  distributing  majestic  sa- 
lutes to  the  company,  and  strutting  and  swelling  like  a 
turkey-cock. 

As  soon  as  he  had  left  the  palace,  we  said  to  Master 
Ting,  "Now  take  a  pencil,  and  write."  We  dictated 
to  him  the  names,  the  ages,  and  professions  of  the  three 
Christians  who  were  lying  in  prison ;  and  we  then  begged 
him  to  go  immediately  to  the  tribunal,  and  present  this 
paper  to  the  prefect,  telling  him  at  the  same  time  that 
the  three  men  thus  indicated  were  now  shut  up  in  his 
prisons :  that  he  had  just  now  been  lying  most  impu- 
dently ;  but  that  we  had  been  willing  to  spare  him,  and 
not  put  him  to  shame  before  the  public — since  the  au- 
thority of  a  magistrate  has  always  need  to  be  surrounded 
with  honor. 

The  prefect's  tribunal  was  quite  close  to  the  commu- 


234          JOURNEY  THROUGH   THE   CIIIXF.SE    EMI'IIJE. 

nal  palace,  and  as  soon  as  Master  Ting  arrived,  we 
heard  the  sound  of  the  tam-tam,  and  the  clamor  made 
according  to  custom  by  the  satellites  as  the  judge  takes 
his  seat  to  administer  justice.  Almost  immediately 
afterward  the  tliree  Christians,  restored  to  liberty,  came 
to  pay  their  respects  to  us,  and  express  their  gratitude, 
and  the  prefect's  scribe  was  commissioned  at  the  same 
time  to  inform  us  that  his  master  had  been  wholly  igno- 
rant of  their  imprisonment ;  that  the  fault  lay  entirely 
with  a  subaltern  officer,  an  audacious  man,  and  ignorant 
of  the  law,  who  had  already  before  committed  similar 
mistakes,  and  whom  he  would  not  fail  to  punish.  Ac- 
cording to  the  law  of  Chinese  politeness,  we  were  obliged 
to  listen  to  these  new  lies  as  if  they  were  indisputable 
truths. 

The  immediate  motive  for  imprisoning  these  Chris- 
tians was,  that  they  had  refused  to  conform  to  certain  su- 
perstitious practices  of  the  Chinese  in  times  of  drought, 
the  object  of  which  is  to  obtain  rain  from  the  Dragon  of 
Water.  When  these  droughts  are  prolonged,  and  occa- 
sion any  fears  for  the  harvest,  it  is  customary  for  the 
Mandarin  of  the  district  to  make  a  proclamation,  pre- 
scribing the  most  rigorous  abstinence.  Neither  fer- 
mented liquors,  meat  of  any  kind,  fish,  eggs,  or  animal 
food  of  any  description  is  allowable  ;  nothing  is  to  be 
eaten  but  vegetables.  Every  housekeeper  has  to  fasten 
over  his  door  strips  of  yellow  paper,  on  which  are  printed 
some  formulas  of  invocation,  and  the  image  of  the  Dragon 
of  Rain.  If  Heaven  is  deaf  to  this  kind  of  supplication, 
collections  are  made,  and  scaffolds  erected,  for  the  per- 
formance of  superstitious  dramas  ;  and,  as  a  last  re- 
source, they  organize  a  burlesque  and  extravagant  pro- 
cession, in  which  an  immense  dragon,  made  of  wood  or 
paper,  is  carried  about  to  the  sound  of  infernal  music. 

Sometimes  it  happens  that,  do  what  they  will,  the 


JOURNEY   THROUGH   THE   CHINESE   EMPIRE.  235 

dragon  is  obstinate,  and  will  not  give  rain,  and  then  the 
prayers  are  changed  into  curses ;  he  who  was  before 
surrounded  with  honors  is  insulted,  reviled,  and  torn  to 
pieces  by  his  rebellious  worshipers. 

It  is  related  that  under  Kia-king,  fifth  Emperor  of 
the  Mantchou-Tartar  dynasty,  a  long  drought  had  deso- 
lated several  provinces  of  the  North;  but  as,  notwith- 
standing numerous  processions,  the  dragon  persisted  in 
not  sending  rain,  the  indignant  Emperor  launched  against 
him  a  thundering  edict,  and  condemned  him  to  perpet- 
ual exile  on  the  borders  of  the  river  Hi,  in  the  province 
of  Torgot.  The  sentence  was  about  to  be  executed,  and 
the  criminal  was  proceeding  with  touching  resignation 
to  cross  the  deserts  of  Tartary  and  undergo  his  punish- 
ment on  the  frontiers  of  Turkestan,  when  the  supreme 
courts  of  Pekin,  touched  with  compassion,  went  in  a 
body,  to  throw  themselves  at  the  feet  of  the  Emperor, 
and  ask  pardon  for  the  poor  devil. 

His  Imperial  Majesty  then  deigned  to  revoke  the  sen- 
tence, and  a  courier  was  sent  off  at  full  gallop  to  carry 
the  news  to  the  executors  of  the  Imperial  decree.  The 
dragon  was  reinstated  in  his  functions,  but  only  on  con- 
dition that  in  future  he  would  acquit  himself  of  them  a 
little  better.  Do  the  Chinese  of  our  days,  it  will  be 
asked,  really  put  faith  in  such  monstrous  practices? 
j^ot  the  least  in  the  world.  All  this  is  merely  an  ex- 
ternal and  completely  lying  demonstration.  The  inhab- 
itants of  the  Celestial  Empire  observe  these  ancient  su- 
perstitions without  at  all  believing  in  them.  What  was 
done  in  times  past,  they  continue  to  do  in  the  present 
day,  but  solely  because  their  ancestors  did  so,  and  what 
their  ancestors  have  established  they  are  always  unwill- 
ing to  change. 


CHAPTER    VI. 

Bad  and  dangerous  Road — Lcang-chan,  a  Town  of  the  third  Order— • 
Disputes  between  our  Conductors  and  the  Mandarins  of  Lcang-chan 
— A  Day  of  Rest — Numerous  Visits  of  Christians — A  Military  Man- 
darin of  our  Escort  compromises  himself — He  is  excluded  from  our 
Table — Great  Trial  presided  over  by  the  Missionaries — Details  of 
this  singular  Trial — Acquittal  of  a  Christian,  and  Condemnation  of 
a  Mandarin — Triumphal  Departure  from  Leang-chan — Servitude  and 
abject  State  of  Women  in  China — Their  Restoration  by  Christianity 
— Master  Ting  declares  that  Women  have  no  Souls — Influence  of 
Women  in  the  Conversion  of  Nations — Arrival  at  Yao-tohang — Hotel 
of  the  Beatitudes — Lodgings  in  a  Theatre — Navigation  of  the  Blue 
River — Plays  and  Players  in  China. 

ON  leaving  Tchong-cheou-liien  we  remarked  that  the 
bearers  were  taller,  more  vigorous,  and  more  agile  than 
usual;  and  they  carried  us  away  with  an  ease  and 
rapidity  that  were  perfectly  astonishing.  Master  Ting 
told  us,  as  he  passed  by,  that  these  were  men  selected 
on  purpose,  as  the  road  was  likely  to  be  toilsome  and 
dangerous. 

We  were  not,  in  fact,  long,  before  we  entered  a  mount- 
ainous district,  intersected  by  deep  ravines,  where  the 
roads  were  nothing  more  than  narrow  sloping  paths  cut 
in  the  clay,  and  moistened  by  an  abundant  rain,  that 
had  fallen  incessantly  during  the  previous  night.  We 
Avould  much  rather  have  proceeded  on  foot ;  but  it  would 
have  been  impossible  for  us  long  to  maintain  our  equilib- 
rium on  this  slippery  ground. 

We  were  assured  that  of  the  two,  there  was  less  dan- 
ger in  remaining  in  the  palanquins. 

The  bearers,  being  in  the  habit  of  passing  along  these 
miserable  roads,  begged  us  to  trust  in  the  steadiness  of 


JOUKNHY   THROUGH   THE   CHINESE  EMPIRE.          237 

their  legs  ;  and  we  did  confide  a  little  in  them,  and  much 
in  Providence. 

These  poor  bearers  advanced,  supporting  themselves 
as  well  as  they  could  on  an  iron-pointed  staff,  which 
they  stuck  from  time  to  time  into  the  clay  ;  but  although 
of  course  this  manoeuvre  was  of  a  nature  to  slacken  their 
march,  they  proceeded,  nevertheless,  with  such  a  rapidity 
as  to  make  us  fairly  giddy.  Now  and  then  they  in- 
voluntarily made  some  odd  capers,  and  the  palanquin 
rocked  from  side  to  side  in  a  very  undecided  manner, 
and  appeared  to  be  slipping  from  their  shoulders.  At 
those  moments  our  position  was  by  no  means  a  pleasant 
one,  for  we  ran  imminent  risk  of  rolling  to  the  bottom 
of  the  ravine,  and  breaking  our  limbs  against  the  enor- 
mous flint  stones. 

When  we  quitted  these  horrible  paths,  it  was  only  to 
climb  steep  and  very  slippery  hills,  which  were  equally 
difficult  in  the  ascent  or  descent.  But  in  these  circum- 
stances there  was  not  the  same  danger ;  and  a  fall  could 
have  had  no  farther  ill  consequence  than  that  of  retard- 
ing our  progress.  To  obviate  this  inconvenience,  how- 
ever, two  long  ropes  were  attached  to  the  palanquin,  to 
which  about  a  dozen  persons  were  harnessed,  who  thus 
helped  to  draw  it  forward ;  and  when  it  was  necessary 
to  descend,  the  ropes  were  placed  in  an  opposite  direc- 
tion, in  order  to  moderate  the  speed  of  the  bearers. 

This  strange  team  was  recruited  all  along  the  road  in 
a  manner  somewhat  tyrannical  it  must  be  owned,  but 
conformable  to  the  customs  of  the  country.  When  the 
attendants  of  the  escort  perceived  any  wood-cutters  in 
the  forests,  or  laborers  in  the  fields,  they  ran  to  them, 
and  summoned  them,  in  the  name  of  the  law,  to  come 
and  give  their  assistance  for  five  li.  It  was  curious  to 
see  the  various  stratagems  put  in  practice  in  this  chase, 
which  to  us  was  of  so  new  a  kind.  When  the  fugitives 


238          J01  KM  V    THROUGH   THE   CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

found  themselves  circumvented  by  the  knowing  and 
.skillful  evolutions  of  the  Mandarin's  people,  they  often 
surrendered  at  discretion,  and  came  laughing  to  submit 
to  this  unprofitable  labor.  We  were  at  first  distressed 
to  see  these  poor  villagers  snatched  thus  from  their  nec- 
essary work,  and  compelled  to  give  us  gratuitously  the 
use  of  their  legs  and  arms  ;  but  we  were  obliged  to  leave 
all  these  things  to  be  settled  according  to  the  custom  of 
the  country,  for  we  were  by  no  means  called  upon  as  we 
Avent  along  to  reform  the  abuses  that  we  might  happen 
to  meet  with  in  the  Celestial  Empire. 

By  God's  help  we  passed  in  safety  through  all  the 
dangers  of  the  road";  but  we  arrived  at  Leang-chou-hien 
quite  worn  out  with  fatigue;  for,  though  we  had  had 
much  less  physical  suffering  than  our  bearers,  we  had 
had  more  of  the  mental  kind.  Though  we  had  not 
taken  a  hundred  steps,  our  limbs  were  to  the  last  degree 
weary.  The  constraint  we  had  had  to  impose  on  our- 
selves, and  the  efforts  we  were  obliged  to  make,  to  main- 
tain perfect  immobility  in  our  palanquins,  and  avoid 
giving  them  the  least  shake,  produced  all  the  effect  of  a 
forced  march.  As  soon  as  ever  we  reached  the  com- 
munal palace,  therefore,  we  hastened  to  get  a  little  rest, 
leaving  Master  Ting  to  say  to  the  visitors  that  we  were 
not  at  home. 

Our  Mandarins  and  the  people  of  our  escort,  Avho 
probably  were  not  so  tired  as  we  were,  never  left  off 
making  a  most  abominable  noise  with  the  guardians  of 
the  palace.  During  the  whole  night  we  had  the  pleas- 
ure of  hearing  them  quarreling,  though  what  about  we 
could  not  exactly  discover ;  all  that  appeared  clear  was, 
that  it  was  a  question  of  gain  and  loss,  of  trickery  and 
fraud.  By  the  time  it  was  daylight  again,  our  servant 
came  to  explain  to  us  all  the  details  of  these  very 
Chinese  doings.  Our  conductors,  it  appeared,  had,  at 


JOURNEY   THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.  239 

i 

the  instigation  of  the  new  military  Mandarin  whom  we 
had  taken  at  Tchoung-king,  attempted  to  make  the 
tribunals  of  Leang-chan  pay  a  more  considerable  sum 
for  the  expenses  of  our  journey  than  they  were  really 
bound  to  furnish.  In  order  to  support  their  pretensions 
in  the  most  effectual  manner,  they  had  even  not  shrunk 
from  falsifying  the  orders  signed  by  the  viceroy;  but, 
unfortunately  for  their  little  speculation,  the  Mandarins 
of  Leang-chan  had  already  been  furnished  with  a  copy, 
so  that  it  was  easy  for  them  to  ascertain  the  fraud. 
This  was  the  origin  of  the  interminable  quarrels  we  had 
heard,  and  since  the  night  was  not,  it  appeared,  long 
enough  to  settle  them,  the  morning  dawn  found  them 
still  disputing  with  the  same  fury  as  before.  Master 
Ting  endeavored  to  get  us  into  the  quarrel,  and  had 
represented  us  to  the  Mandarins  of  the  place  as  most 
terrible  fellows ;  but  the  affair  did  not  concern  us,  and 
we  took  care  not  to  meddle  in  it.  We  merely  exhorted 
them  to  come  to  an  agreement  as  well  as  they  could, 
and  as  quickly  as  they  could,  for  we  certainly  did  not 
intend  to  set  out  in  the  hottest  part  of  the  day. 

When  at  last  they  had  exhausted  all  the  tricks  and 
stratagems  of  Chinese  polemics,  peace  was  concluded; 
on  what  conditions  we  were  not  informed ;  but  that  did 
not  matter  to  us.  Toward  eleven  o'clock  they  came  to 
inform  us,  with  an  air  of  triumph,  that  at  last  we  were 
going  to  set  off;  but  we  replied  it  was  too  late,  and  we 
would  not  go  till  the  next  day.  "  We  have  certainly," 
we  added,  "no  right  to  prevent  you  from  quarreling; 
but  neither  have  you  any  right  to  make  us  the  victims 
of  your  disputes,  by  forcing  us  to  travel  during  the 
greatest  heat."  The  people  of  our  escort  understood 
immediately  that  there  was  no  help  for  it ;  and  that  we 
should  not  change  our  resolution ;  but  it  was  not  so 
with  the  Mandarins  of  Leang-chan,  who  -could  not  make 


•jln  .IMIKNKY    THKOIM!    TIIK    CJIINKSK   KM  PI  UK. 

• 

up  their  minds  to  it  till  after  they  had  exhausted  all  the 
resources  of  Chinese  diplomacy.  The  military  com- 
mandant tried  to  seduce  us  with  a  jar  of  fine  old  wine, 
Avhich  he  accompanied  with  most  touching  and  fraternal 
exhortations.  We  tasted  the  wine,  which  we  found 
delicious ;  but  we  declared  our  conviction  that  we  could 
nowhere  drink  it  in  such  good  company  as  at  Leang- 
ehan. 

As  soon  as  it  became  known  that  we  were  not  going 
to  set  off  that  day,  the  communal  palace  was  invaded 
by  a  crowd  of  traders,  who  came  to  offer  us  the  curios- 
ities of  the  country.  What  we  found  most  remarkable 
in  these  displays  of  Chinese  merchandise  were  the  blinds 
or  awnings  often  used  in  these  warm  countries  to  fix 
over  doors  and  windows.  They  are  made  of  little  sticks 
of  bamboo,  joined  together  with  silk  cord,  and  orna- 
mented with  paintings  of  flowers,  birds,  and  fanciful  pat- 
terns. The  beautiful  varnish  that  covers  them  height- 
ens the  brilliancy  of  the  colors,  and  renders  this  light 
trellis-work  extremely  gay  and  pretty.  There  are  also 
in  this  town  a  great  variety  of  odoriferous  necklaces  for 
sale. 

The  Christians  .are  numerous  enough  at  Leang-chan, 
and  we  were  astonished  that  none  of  them  had  yet 
showed  themselves.  We  could  not  help  thinking  that 
the  Mandarins  of  the  place  had  forbidden  them  to  enter, 
in  order  to  be  a  little  revenged  upon  us  for  our  refracto- 
riness. As  we  were  walking  in  the  outer  court,  how- 
ever, we  noticed  among  the  crowd  at  the  door,  a  man 
who  made  the  sign  of  the  Cross ;  and  we  walked  straight 
up  to  him,  and  invited  him  to  follow  us  into  the  hall 
of  reception.  The  long  military  Mandarin  who  had  ac- 
companied us  from  Tchoung-king,  endeavored  to  make 
us  send  him  back;  but  he  was  entreated  to  moderate  a 
zeal  so  untimely  «nd  so  little  to  our  taste.  After  hav- 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          211 

ing  listened  with  the  most  lively  interest  to  the  details 
that  this  Christian  entered  into  concerning  the  state  of 
the  mission,  we  Ibegged  him  to  give  his  brethren  notice 
of  the  necessity  of  presenting  themselves  with  a  visit- 
ing note,  and  a  dress  of  ceremony.  We  also  went  our- 
selves to  give  notice  to  the  porter,  and,  the  news  Toeing 
soon  spread  abroad  among  the  Christians,  our  visitors* 
shortly  afterward  began  to  arrive  in  numerous  detach- 
ments. How  can  we  express  the  ineffable  delight  that 
these  meetings  afforded  us  ?  These  men  were  all  un- 
known to  us,  yet  they  were  brothers  and  friends.  We 
felt  as  it  were  a  Christian  magnetism,  a  current  of  fra- 
ternity passing  from  them  to  us  and  from  us  to  them. 
We  loved  without  having  ever  seen  each  other,  for  we 
had  one  faith  and  one  hope.*..  We  had  so  long  been 
wanderers  among  indifferent  or  hostile  people,  that  the 
sympathy  by  which  we  were  now  surrounded,  even 
though  it  was  a  little  Chinese  in  its  expression,  ex- 
panded our  hearts,  and  filled  them  with  sweet  emo- 
tions. It  seemed  while  we  were  conversing  with  Chris- 
tians, that  we  were  but  a  little  way  from  France.  The 
Mandarins  were  quite  surprised  at  these  spontaneous 
intimacies,  and  the  friendship  which  it  seemed  to  them 
must  be  of  long  standing.  They  looked  puzzled  and 
uneasy,  and  it  was  evident  they  were  obliged  to  exer- 
cise some  self-command  to  restrain  their  ill-humor.  An 
incident  very  unimportant  in  itself,  a  mere  trifle,  was 
near  making  their  anger  burst  forth,  and  might  have  led 
to  more  serious  consequences. 

Just  before  nightfall,  as  we  were  repeating  our  brevi- 
ary while  walking  in  an  avenue  of  the  garden,  and  the 
three  Mandarins  of  our  escort  were  smoking  their  pipes 
under  a  large  oleander  and  enjoying  the  delicious  fra- 
grance of  the  evening,  our  servant  crossed  the  garden 
with  a  letter  and  a  small  packet,  and  took  the  way  to- 
VOL,  I.— L 


1213         JOURNEY  THROUGH   THE  CHINESE   EMPIRE. 

ward  our  room.  The  military  Mandarin  whom  we  had 
taken  at  Tchoung-king  immediately  followed  him,  and 
though  he  had  chosen  his  time  well,  we  did  nevertheless 
perceive  his  move,  and  ran  to  our  room  to  see  what  the 
audacious  spy  was  doing.  We  caught  him  inflagrante 
delicto  reading  our  letter  and  rummaging  in  the  parcel 
addressed  to  us.  As  soon  as  he  saw  us  he  tried  to  bolt,  | 
keeping  possession  of  the  parcel ;  but  we  barred  his  pas- 
sage, drove  him  back  into  the  room,  shut  the  door,  and 
sprang  upon  him,  crying  thieves !  thieves  I  When  he 
saw  that  we  took  hold  of  a  rope  as  if  to  tie  him,  he  cried 
out  in  his  turn  for  help,  and  all  the  inmates  of  the  pal- 
ace in  a  moment  came  running  to  our  room. 

We  had  no  inclination  to  do  any  thing  more  than 
laugh  at  the  adventure ;  but  in  China  it  was  neces- 
sary to  go  into  a  violent  passion,  and  accordingly  we 
did  so. 

The  packet,  which  was  open,  contained  only  some 
dried  fruits  and  perfumed  necklaces,  which  a  Christian 
family  had  the  kindness  to  offer  us.  The  letter  had  no- 
thing in  it  which  could  compromise  them,  and  was  as 
follows : 

"The  humble  family  of  the  Tchao  prostrate  them- 
selves to  the  earth  before  the  Spiritual  Fathers  coming 
from  the  great  kingdom  of  France,  and  beg  them  to  call 
down  the  blessing  of  Heaven  upon  them.  It  is  by  the 
merciful  will  of  God  that  they  have  obtained  your  pre- 
cious presence  in  our  poor  and  obscure  country. 

"  Soon  rivers  and  mountains  will  separate  us,  but  the 
sentiments  of  the  heart  can  traverse  infinite  spaces  in  a 
moment.  Day  and  night  we  will  think  of  our  Spiritual 
Fathers. 

"At  Leang-chan  all  the  friends  of  religion*  unite  to 
*  "Kiao-you."  The  Chinese  Christians  call  themselves  by  this  name.  ' 


JOURNEY   THROUGH   THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          243 

pray  to  the  Lord  of  Heaven  for  them,  and  to  beg  him  to 
grant  them  perpetual  peace  for  their  souls  and  bodies. 
We  raise  toward  you  some  fruits  of  our  country. 
Deign  to  lower  your  hands  to  receive  them.  This  little 
offering  is  that  of  our  hearts.  These  characters  have 
been  traced  by  the  sinful  men  and  women  of  the  family 

of  Tchao." 

j 

The  zealous  military  Mandarin,  confused  at  not  hav- 
ing discovered  any  kind  of  plot,  trembled  in  every  limb 
at  the  expression  of  OUT  pretended  anger.  The  prefect 
of  the  town  arrived  with  his  staff  to  restore  peace,  but  he 
took  such  a  wrong  way  to  obtain  it  that  he  produced  pre- 
cisely the  opposite  result.  He  was  stupid  enough  to  tell 
us  that  he  had  ordered  the  head  of  the  family  of  Tchao, 
as  the  original  cause  of  the  disturbance,  to  be  impris- 
oned. 

"  A  trial !  a  trial!"  we  exclaimed;  "  we  must  have  a 
trial !  If  the  head  of  the  family  of  Tchao  has  committed 
any  offense,  let  him  be  punished  according  to  the  laws 
for  an  example  to  the  people.  But  if  the  head  of  that 
family  is  innocent,  then  it  is  the  military  Mandarin  of 
Tchoung-king  who  is  the  guilty  party,  and  he  must  be 
punished.  The  peace  has  been  broken  in  the  communal 
palace ;  we,  who  travel  under  the  safe  conduct  of  the 
Emperor,  have  been  insulted  by  one  of  his  officers ;  order 
must  be  restored,  and  every  one  be  put  in  his  proper 
place — good  or  bad,  according  to  his  conduct." 

The  prefect  of  Leang-chan,  who  did  not  well  under- 
stand what  we  would  be  at,  tried  to  persuade  us  that 
the  affair  might  be  considered  as  terminated  —  that  no 
more  need  be  said  about  it — that  the  head  of  the  family 
of  Tchao  was  pardoned  and  about  to  be  set  at  liberty, 
and  that  consequently  "  all  the  emotions  of  our  souls 
might  be  tranquillized."  But  to  all  his  exhortations  and 


244          JOUKXKY   THKOUGII   THE   CIIIXKSK    KMPIKK. 

those  of  his  colleagues  we  replied  always  in  the,  suinc 
words,  "A  trial !  a  trial!  If  the  head  of  the  family  of 
Tchao  is  innocent,  he  has  no  need  of  pardon  ;  his  con- 
duct must  be  investigated  ;  he  has  been  ill-treated  in  the 
eyes  of  the  world.  Our  honor  and  that  of  all  Christians 
is  concerned.  There  must  be  a  public  trial  in  order  that 
the  principles  of  justice  and  equity  may  be  explained  to 
the  people  with  clearness  and  method.  Those  who  know 
us,"  we  added,  turning  to  the  prefect,  "  know  that  we 
are  not  men  of  light  words  and  unsteady  resolutions, 
and  we  here  declare  that  we  will  not  leave  Leang-chan 
till  there  has  been  a,  public  trial,  at  which  AVC  will  be 
present.  It  is  already  late,  but  orders  can  be  given 
directly  to  make  the  necessary  preparations."  Address- 
ing ourselves  afterward  to  Master  Ting,  we  told  him, 
that  as  it  was  siipper-time  we  must  sit  down  to  table, 
and  in  order  not  to  prolong  the  discussion,  and  to  induce 
every  one  to  go  about  his  business,  Ave  made  the  prefect 
a  low  bow,  and  retired  to  walk  in  a  little  solitary  garden 
that  was  situated  behind  our  room. 

Some  few  minutes  afterward  all  the  curious  people 
whom  the  adventure  of  the  dried  fruits  had  attracted 
to  the  communal  palace  had  disappeared,  and  it  was 
announced  to  us  that  the  warm  wine  was  on  the  table. 
As  we  entered  the  room  where  the  supper  was  served, 
we  remarked  that  the  Mandarin  Tchoung-ting  was  at 
his  post  among  the  rest  of  our  fellow-commoners,  and 
\vc  made  him  a  sign  to  go  out,  declaring  that  henceforth 
it  would  be  impossible  for  us  to  take  our  meals  in  his 
.company.  He  thought  proper  at  first  to  affect  to  take 
this  for  a  joke ;  but  we  soon  made  him  understand  that 
we  were  perfectly  serious,  and,  by  the  persuasion  of  his 
colleagues,  he  at  length  withdrew,  though  with  a  very 
bad  grace,  and  went  to  oat  his  rice  elsewhere. 

Our  supper,  as  maybe  imagined,  was  not  rematkably 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          1245 

gay.  The  company  helped  themselves  from  the  dishes 
right  and  left,  but  all  in  perfect  silence ;  the  chop-sticks 
seized  and  let  fall  often  the  same  morsel  before  carrying 
it  off.  The  guests  swallowed,  as  if  in  mere  absence  of 
mind,  several  little  glasses  of  warm  wine ;  they  glanced 
at  each  other  out  of  the  corners  of  their  eyes,  but  said 
nothing.  Every  one  seemed  to  be  thinking  of  this  grand 
trial.  It  occurred  to  us  now  and  then  that  we  had  gone 
on  rather  too  boldly,  and  that  if  there  had  been  at  Leang- 
chan  a  prefect  of  a  little  energy  of  character  it  would 
have  been  prudent  to  think  of  an  honorable  retreat.  But 
fortunately  we  had  to  do  with  a  fearful  man,  of  a  soft 
nature,  whom  we  were  very  sure  of  being  able  to  bend. 
It  was  of  importance,  therefore,  to  march  on  without  hes- 
itation, and  we  were  also  glad  to  profit  by  this  oppor- 
tunity to  encourage  and  raise  the  spirits  of  the  Christians, 
whom  the  disappointment  of  their  hopes  of  religious  lib- 
erty had  greatly  dejected. 

As  there  was  not  much  time  wasted  in  conversation, 
we  had  soon  arrived  at  the  end  of  the  repast,  tea  and 
pipes  were  brought,  and  then  it  was  found  necessary  to 
relax  a  little  from  perfect  dumbness,  since,  the  occu- 
pation not  being  of  so  active  a  nature  as  dinner,  there 
was  no  longer  the  same  pretext  for  keeping  silence.  We 
therefore  plunged  immediately,  and  without  preamble, 
into  the  business  that  was  occupying  every  one's  thoughts 
— that  is  to  say,  the  proposed  trial. 

We  were  the  first  to  speak.  "We  presume,"  said  we, 
"that  by  this  time  every  tiling  is  in  readiness  for  the 
trial  that  is  to  take  place  this  evening.  Has  the  hour 
been  fixed  yet  ?" 

"  Yes,  certainly,"  replied  Master  Ting  ;  "every  thing 
shall  be  arranged  according  to  your  desire.  The  prefect 
has  undertaken  it,  and  he  is  renowned  for  his  skill  in 
discussing  the  most  difficult  points  of  law.  All  will  be 


246          JOURNEY   THIJOIHMI    TIIK   CIIIXKSK   KMI'IKK. 

well,  make  yourself  easy ;  you  can  not,  however,  be 
present  at  the  trial ;  the  laws  of  the  Empire  are  opposed 
to  it.  But  that  is  no  matter." 

' '  On  the  contrary,  it  matters  very  much :  mind,  we 
warn  you  that  if  the  trial  takes  place  without  our  being 
present,  it  will  count  for  nothing." 

After  a  long  and  stormy  discussion,  we  found  our- 
selves no  nearer  the  point  at  issue.  The  emissaries  of 
the  tribunal  went  and  came  incessantly,  but  without 
bringing  its  any  solution  of  the  problem.  But  as  we 
had  no  wish  to  pass  the  night  in  parleying,  we  told 
Master  Ting  that  he  might  undertake  to  negotiate  on 
the  following  basis  :  If  at  ten  o'clock  in  the  evening 
the  trial  had  not  commenced,  we  should  go  to  bed,  and 
then  we  should  certainly  remain  the  next  day  at  Leang- 
chan ;  if  the  affair  were  not  decided  the  next  day,  we 
.should  remain  till  the  day  after,  and  so  on  indefinitely, 
for  we  were  firmly  determined  not  to  leave  the  place  till 
after  the  trial. 

Furnished  thus  with  his  instructions,  Master  Ting  be- 
took himself  to  the  tribunal.  Ten  o'clock  arrived,  and 
we  went  to  bed  and  slept  profoundly,  though  on  the  eve 
of  a  grand  battle ! 

Toward  midnight,  we  were  awakened  from  our  sleep 
to  receive  a  deputation  from  the  first  magistrate,  inform- 
ing us  that  all  was  arranged,  and  in  readiness  for  the 
trial,  and  that  they  were  awaiting  us  at  the  tribunal. 
The  hour  did  not  appear  to  us  particularly  convenient ; 
but,  considering  that  the  Mandarins  had  had  a.  good  deal 
to  get  over  on  their  side,  we  thought  we  could  do  no  less 
than  make  some  concessions  on  ours.  "VYe  rose  there- 
fore immediately,  and,  after  having  put  on  the  finest 
clothes  we  had,  we  repaired  to  the  tribunal  in  a  palan- 
quin, and  escorted  by  numerous  attendants  bearing  in 
their  hands  torches  of  resinous  wood. 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          -47 

We  knew  what  a  Chinese  trial  was.  What  we  had 
undergone  at  Lha-ssa  and  Tching-tou-fou  had  served 
to  make  us  acquainted  with  the  form  of  procedure :  and 
we  had  traced  out  for  ourselves,  in  accordance  with  these 
recollections,  a  nice  little  plan,  which  it  was  only  neces- 
sary to  carry  out  with  steadiness. 

We  were  introduced  into  the  hall  of  audience,  which 
was  splendidly  lit  with  large  lanterns  of  variously  color- 
ed paper.  A  multitude  of  curious  spectators,  among 
whom  were  probably  many  Christians,  thronged  the 
lower  end  of  the  hall.  The  principal  Mandarins  of  the 
town  and  our  three  conductors  were  seated  at  the  upper 
part  on  a  raised  platform,  where  were  several  seats  ar- 
ranged before  a  long  table.  The  judges  gave  us  a  most 
gracious  reception,  and  the  prefect  begged  us  to  be  seat- 
ed immediately,  in  order  that  they  might  commence  pro- 
ceedings. The  question  now  arose,  where  were  we  to 
be  seated?  Xobody  knew,  and  our  presence  appeared 
to  create  in  the  mind  of  the  prefect  himself  some  serious 
doubts  on  the  subject  of  his  prerogatives.  He  certainly 
bore  an  Imperial  dragon,  riclily  embroidered  in  relief 
on  the  front  of  his  violet  silk  tunic,  but  then  we  had  a 
dragon  on  a  beautiful  red  girdle :  the  prefect  had  a  blue 
ball ;  but  then  we  had  a  yellow  cap ! 

After  a  few  moments  of  hesitation  we  felt  a  sudden 
energetic  inspiration  to  assume  the  direction  of  the  affair 
ourselves,  and,  accordingly,  we  marched  proudly  up  to 
the  President's  seat,  and  coolly  motioned  the  others  to 
the  places  they  were  to  occupy,  each  according  to  his 
dignity.  There  was  a  movement  of  surprise,  and  even 
of  hilarity  among  the  Mandarins,  but  no  opposition. 
They  seemed  so  taken  by  surprise  as  to  be  completely 
put  out,  and  mechanically  assumed  the  places  indicated. fc 

The  sitting  was  then  commenced.  Wre  placed  before 
us  on  the  table  the  corpus  delicti — that  is  to  say,  the 


JOUKNEY   THKon.H    THE   CHINESE    EMi'IKE. 

letter  and  the  little  parcel.  After  having  read  and  com- 
mented on  the  letter,  we  passed  it  to  the  military  Man- 
darin, of  Tchong-king,  who  was  in  the  last  place  on  the 
right  hand,  and  asked  him  whether  that  was  the  letter 
lie  had  opened.  The  reply  was  in  the  affirmative.  We 
then  passed  on  the  parcel  with  the  necklaces  perfumed 
with  cloves  and  sandal-wood.  Its  identity  having  been 
also  confirmed,  we  desired  an  officer  of  the  court,  who 
wore  a  cap  of  black  felt  in  the  form  of  a  sugar-loaf  and 
ornamented  with  long  pheasant's  plumes,  to  present  the 
letter  and  the  parcel  to  each  of  the  judges,  that  they 
might  all  examine  them. 

These  preliminaries  being  over,  the  order  was  given 
to  introduce  the  accused,  and  bring  him  to  the  bar,  and 
we  soon  saw  advancing  between  four  ill-looking  attend- 
ants a  Chinese  of  elegant  deportment  and  most  intelli- 
gent countenance.  A  chaplet,  at  the  end  of  which  shone 
a  large  bright  copper  cross,  was  p°3sed  round  his  heck. 
Immediately  on  seeing  him,  AVC  began  to  feel  great  hopes 
of  success ;  it  would  have  been  very  disagreeable  and 
embarrassing  to  us  to  have  to  do  with  a  timid,  stupid 
man,  incapable  of  giving  us  any  support  in  the  singular 
position  in  which  we  had  placed  ourselves ;  but  we 
could  not  have  met  with  a  more  suitable  person.  The 
head  of  the  Tchao  family  appeared  expressly  cut  out  for 
our  purpose. 

As  soon  as  he  had  arrived  at  the  bottom  of  the  plat- 
form, he  cast  a  rapid  glance  round  the  court,  but  one 
that  was  sufficient  to  enable  him  to  perceive  that  he  was 
to  be  judged  by  one  who  was  not  a  Mandarin  of  the 
Celestial  Empire.  lie  prostrated  himself  smiling,  and, 
after  having  saluted  the  president  by  striking  the  earth 
three  times  with  his  forehead,  he  rose  to  salute  each 
judge  with  a  low  bow.  "When  he  had  performed  these 
salutations  in  the  most  graceful  manner,  he  knelt  down; 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          249 

for,  according  to  the  Chinese  law,  it  is  in  this  posture 
the  accused  have  to  appear  before  their  judges.  We 
begged  him  to  rise,  telling  him  we  should  be  pained  to 
see  him  on  his  knees  before  us,  since  that  was  not  con- 
formable to  the  customs  of  our  country. 

"Yes,"  said  the  prefect,  "stand  upright,  since  you, 
have  been  permitted  to  do  so  ;  and  now,"  added  lie, 
"since  the  men  from  those  distant  countries  will  doubt- 
less not  understand  your  language,  I  will  myself  under- 
take your  examination." 

"  No,  no !"  we  said,  "  that  can  not  be  ;  your  fears  are 
without  foundation ;  you  will  sec  that  we  shall  come  to 
a  very  good  understanding  with  this  man." 

"Yes,"  said  the  accused;  "this  language  is  for  me, 
whiteness  and  clearness  itself.  I  understand  it  without 
a  moment's  hesitation." 

"  Since  that  is  the  case,"  said  the  prefect,  a  little  dis- 
concerted, "  you  must  reply  with  simplicity  and  upright- 
ness of  heart  to  the  questions  that  will  be  addressed  to  you. " 

We  proceeded  then  to  the  examination  in  the  follow- 
ing form  : 

"  What  is  your  name  ?" 

"  This  quite  little  person*  is  Called  by  the  vile  and 
despicable  name  of  Tc/iao  /  the  name  that  I  received  in 
baptism  is  Simon." 

"What  is  your  age,  and  where  do  you  come  from  ?" 

"  For  eight-and-thirty  years  I  have  endured  the  mis- 
eries of  life  in  the  poor  country  of  Leang-chan." 

"Are  you  a  Christian ?" 

"  I,  sinner  as  I  am,  have  obtained  the  grace  of  know- 
ing and  adoring  the  Lord  of  Heaven." 

"  Look  at  this  letter.  Do  you  know  it  ?  By  whom 
was  it  written  ?" 

*  The  Chinese  of  the  lower  order  always  qualify  themselves  thus  in 
the  presence  of  Mandarins. 

L* 


250          JOURNEY   THROUGH   THE  CHIN  KM.    KM  I 'I  HE. 

"I  do  know  it.  It  is  this  quite  little  person  who 
traced  these  awkward  characters  with  his  unskillful 
pencil." 

"  Examine  this  packet.     Do  you  recognize  that  ?" 

"I  do  recognize  it." 

"  To  whom  did  you  address  this  letter  and  this 
parcel ?" 

"  To  the  Spiritual  Fathers  of  the  great  kingdom  of 
France." 

"What  was  your  purpose  is  sending  these  things?" 

"  The  humble  Tchao  family  wished  to  express  to  the 
Spiritual  Fathers  the  sentiments  of  their  filial  piety." 

"  How  can  that  be  ?  We  do  not  know  you,  and  you 
do  not  know  us.  We  have  never  seen  you." 

"That  is  true;  but  those  Avho  are  of  the  same  religion 
are  never  strangers  to  one  another ;  they  make  but  one 
family,  and  when  Christians  meet,  their  hearts  easily 
comprehend  each  other." 

"  You  see,"  said  we  to  the  prefect,  "  that  this  man 
perfectly  understands  our  language.  He  replies  with 
the  utmost  clearness  to  all  our  questions  ;  you  know 
also  now,  that  Christians  only  form  one  family;  it  is 
written  in  your  book^  and  you  yourselves  often  repeat, 
that  all  men  ar.e  brothers — that  is  to  say,  all  men  have 
the  same  origin ;  let  them  come  from  the  North  or  the 
South,  the  East  or  the  West,  they  have  all  proceeded 
from  the  same  father  and  mother ;  the  root  is  one,  the 
branches  are  innumerable.  This  is  what  we  must  un- 
derstand when  it  is  said  that  all  men  are  brothers,  and 
that  signifies  also  that  there  is  but  one  sovereign  Lord, 
who  has  created  and  governs  all  things.  He  is  the  great 
lather  and  mother  of  the  ten  thousand  nations  who  are 
on  the  face  of  the  earth.  The  Christians  alone  adore 
this  sovereign  Lord,  this  great  Father  and  Mother,  and 
that  is  why  they  are  said  to  form  among  themselves  but 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          251 

one  family.  Those  who  are  not  Christians  belong  also 
by  their  origin  to  the  same  family ;  but  they  live  apart, 
and  forget  the  principles  of  paternal  authority  and  filial 
piety." 

"All  that  is  founded  in  reason,"  said  the  Chinese 
judges.  "Here  is  the  true  doctrine  in  all  its  purity." 

After  this  short  theological  discussion,  we  returned 
to  the  trial. 

"We  ourselves,"  said  we,  addressing  the  accused, 
"are  strangers,  not  born  in  the  Central  Empire,  but  we 
have  lived  in  it  long  enough  to  become  acquainted  with 
the  greater  part  of  your  laws.  It  may  be,  nevertheless, 
that  some  have  escaped  us.  Answer,  therefore,  accord- 
ing to  your  conscience. 

"In  sending  us  this  letter,  and  the  packet  of  dried 
fruit,  did  you  think  that  you  were  acting  contrary  to 
the  laws  ?" 

"I  did  not  think  so.  On  the  contrary,  I  believed 
that  I  had  done  a  good  action,  and  that  is  what  our 
laws  do  not  forbid." 

"As  you  are  a  man  of  the  people,  you  may  be  mis- 
taken in  this,"  and  not  understand  aright  the  laws  of  the 
Empire." 

Addressing  ourselves  then  to  the  magistrates,  who 
were  seated  near  us,  we  asked  them  whether  this  man 
had  committed  a  reprehensible  action?  All  replied 
unanimously  that  his  conduct  was  worthy  of  praise. 
"And  you,"  we  said  to  the  Mandarin  of  Tchoung-king, 
named  Lu,  "what  is  your  opinion?" 

"There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  action  of  the  Tchao 
family  was  virtuous  and  holy.  Who  would  be  absurd 
enough  to  say  the  contrary,  and  maintain  that  it  was 
reprehensible  ?" 

"The  matter  has  now  been  made  clear,"  said  we  to 
the  accused;  "the  truth  has  been  carefully  separated 


252  JOURNEY   THROUGH  THE   CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

from  error.  According  to  the  testimony  both  of  the  su- 
perior and  inferior  Mandarins,  you  had  a  right  to  obey 
the  dictates  of  your  heart,  and  make  the  offering  to  us. 
In  that  case  we  accept  it  here  openly,  and  in  presence 
of  every  one ;  and  we  will  preserve  your  letter  with  care 
as  one  of  our  most  precious  possessions." 

The  trial  wras  now  over,  and  we  might  immediately 
have  pronounced  a  verdict  of  "not  guilty,"  and  sent 
home  the  accused  in  triumph;  but  as  we  had  taken  a 
fancy  to  playing  the  part  of  Mandarin,  we  prolonged 
the  sitting  a  little.  We  requested  the  honorable  Tchao 
to  give  us  some  information  concerning  the  Christian 
community  of  Leang-chan,  and  in  language  that  was 
full  of  spirit,  though  decorous,  he  entered  into  a  num- 
ber of  details  that  were  most  interesting  to  us,  though 
probably  not  quite  as  much  so  to  the  otJier  judges.  At 
length  we  ventured  to  ask  this  question — "Are  the 
Christians  of  Leang-chan  faithful  observers  of  the  laws? 
Do  they  set  a  good  example  to  the  people  ?" 

"We  Christians,"  said  Tchao,  "are  miserable  sin- 
ners, like  other  men,  but  we  do  endeavor  to  act  virtu- 
ously." 

"Do  so,"  said  we;  "exert  yourselves  to  become  vir- 
tuous, to  make  your  conduct  conformable  to  the  purity 
and  holiness  of  the  doctrine  of  the  Lord  of  Heaven,  and 
you  will  see  that  the  Mandarins  and  the  people  through- 
out the  Empire  will  at  last  do  you  justice.  Already 
the  Emperor  has  issued  an  edict  declaring  that  the  ob- 
ject of  the  Christian  religion  is  to  train  men  to  the  prac- 
tice of  what  is  good,  and  the  avoidance  of  what  is  bad, 
and  he  has  consequently  forbidden  either  the  great  or 
the  small  tribunals  of  the  eighteen  provinces  to  perse- 
cute the  Christians.  This  edict  has  not  yet  been  pro- 
mulgated in  all  localities,  but  its  existence  is  authentic ; 
you  may  announce  it  to  all  the  friends  of  religion :  you 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE   CHINESE  EMPIRE.  253 

are  permitted  to  say  your  prayers  and  observe  all  Chris- 
tian ordinances  without  any  fear,  and  in  perfect  liberty. 
Who  would  be  audacious  enough,  by  troubling  you,  to 
incur  the  anger  of  the  Emperor  ?" 

After  this  little  speech,  we  asked  the  prefect  if  we 
might  send  back  the  head  of  the  Tchao  family  to  his 
home.  "  Since  it  is  manifest,"  said  we,  "that  his  con- 
duct has  been  in  all  respects  virtuous,  he  ought  now  to 
be  allowed  to  go  and  cany  the  consolation  of  his  pres- 
ence to  his  relations  and  friends." 

The  meeting  was  just  about  to  disperse,  but  we  ex- 
tended our  arms,  and  begged  permission  to  express  one 
more  thought.  "Since,"  said  we,  "the  action  of  the 
Tchao  family  has  been  conformable  to  the  laws  and 
irreproachable,  it  is  evident  that  the  conduct  of  the 
Mandarin  Lu  has  been  culpable ;  he  introduced  him- 
self secretly  into  our  apartment,  and  has  covered  his 
face  with  shame,  by  opening  a  letter  that  was  addressed 
to  us. 

"  The,  Mandarin  Lu  was  appointed  to  be  our  military 
escort  from  the  town  of  Tchoung-king  to  the  frontiers 
of  the  province ;  but,  as  you  see  clearly  that  he  has 
not  received  a  good  education,  and  his  ignorance  of  the 
rites  may  lead  him  into  still  greater  faults,  we  here 
declare  that  we  will  have  nothing  more  to  do  with  him : 
our  declaration  shall  be  made  in  writing,  and  sent  to 
the  superior  authorities  of  Tchoung-king."  At  these 
words  we  rose,  and  the  sitting  was  over.  Our  admi- 
rable Christian  came  to  us,  threw  himself  on  his  knees, 
and  asked  our  blessing.  He  also  received  the  congrat- 
ulations of  the  Mandarins,  who  had  been  present  at 
these  curious  proceedings,  and  he  well  deserved  them. 
It  seemed  to  us  that  by  his  dignified  deportment,  and 
the  courageous  propriety  of  his  language,  he  had  done 
honor  to  the  name  of  Cliristian  in  the  eyes  of  his  coun- 


254         JOriJNKY   TllltOUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

try  men.  We  felt,  nevertheless,  some  anxiety,  con- 
cerning his  future  prospects,  and  the  joy  of  our  little 
triumph  was  somewhat  abated  by  feelings  of  distrust. 
We  feared  that,  after  our  departure,  the  tribunal  of 
Lcang-chan,  might  seek  to  take  its  revenge  on  the  Chris- 
tians. We  recommended  to  Simon  Tchao  therefore  'the 
utmost  prudence,  in  order  to  afford  no  pretext  to  the 
malevolence  of  the  Mandarins,  and  we  begged  him  to 
send  us  word  how  he  was  going  on.  A  year  afterward 
we  received  at  Macao  a  letter  from  Leang-chan,  inform- 
ing us  that  since  our  departure  the  Christians  had  en- 
joyed the  most  profound  tranquillity,  and  no  one  had 
ventured  to  persecute  the  worshipers  of  the  Lord  of 
Heaven. 

It  was  almost  morning  by  the  time  we  returned  to 
the  communal  palace,  but  we  went  to  bed — not  indeed 
to  sleep — that  would  have  been  difficult — but  to  rest 
ourselves  a  little,  recover  our  composure,  and  prepare 
to  set  out  in  a  few  hours.  We  had  need  of  some  in- 
terval of  rest,  that  our  thoughts  might  return  into  their 
wonted  channel,  from  which  they  had  been  so  suddenly 
driven.  We  had  hardly  quitted  the  tribunal,  before  all 
that  had  passed  appeared  like  a  dream.  We  could  hard- 
ly conceive  how  the  Mandarins  and  the  people  could 
have  been  in  earnest  in  this  extraordinary  trial ;  the 
part  of  president  of  the  court  played  impromptu  by 
a  French  missionary  in  a  Chinese  town,  in  the  presence 
of  Chinese  magistrates,  and  that  without  any  opposition, 
as  if  it  had  been  the  most  natural  thing  in  the  world ! 
Two  strangers,  two  barbarians,  to  be  allowed  to  master 
for  a  moment  all  the  rooted  prejudices  of  a  people  jealous 
and  disdainful  of  strangers  to  excess ;  and  that  even  to 
the  point  of  arrogating  to  themselves  the  authority  of  a 
judge,  and  exercising  it  officially !  How  could  this  be 
possible  ? 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          255 

These  facts  prove,  however,  how  much  the  principle 
of  authority  is  usually  respected  by  the  Chinese  people. 
Our  red  girdles  had  been  our  most  powerful  spell ;  they 
were  influenced  by  them,  without  being  very  well  aware 
of  it,  as  by  an  emanation  of  the  Imperial  power. 

The  fear  of  compromising  themselves  is  also  a  sen- 
timent universal  among  the  Chinese,  and  which  one  may 
easily  turn  to  account.  Every  one  thinks  first  of  pro- 
viding for  his  own  safety,  and  then  letting  things  take 
their  course.  Prudence,  or  perhaps  it  may  be  called 
pusillanimity,  is  one  of  the  most  remarkable  qualities 
of  the  Chinese;  and  they  have  an  expression,  which 
they  make  use  of  on  all  occasions,  which  very  well 
characterizes  this  sentiment.  In  the  midst  of  all  diffi- 
culties and  embarrassments,  the  Chinese  say  siao-sin, 
that  is  to  say,  "  Lessen"  or  "  draw  in  your  heart." 
Those  who  are  fond  of  comparing  the  characters  of  vari- 
ous nations,  as  they  manifest  themselves  in  their  lan- 
guages, might  find  a  curious  contrast  in  this  respect  be-» 
tween  the  French  and  the  Chinese.  At  the  approach 
of  danger,  while  the  latter  says,  trembling,  "Draw  in 
your  heart,"  the  former  starts  up,  crying  "  Prends 
garde"  He  makes  use  of  an  expression  that  could 
only  suit  a  warlike  race,  who,  in  presence  of  an  enemy, 
instinctively  lay  the  hand  on  the  sword. 

On  our  departure  from  Leang-chan,  we  were  honored 
with  a  magnificent  ovation.  The  news  of  this  strange 
nocturnal  sitting  of  the  first  tribunal,  under  the  presi- 
dency of  a  "Devil  of  the  West,"  had  spread  abroad, 
enriched,  of  course,  by  the  imaginations  of  the  narra- 
tors, with  a  number  of  most  wonderful  circumstances. 
As  soon,  therefore,  as  the  sun  appeared  above  the  ho- 
rizon, all  the  inhabitants  of  the  town  began  to  hurry 
eagerly  to  the  spot  that  we  should  have  to  pass.  All 
the  Mandarins,  in  their  robes  of  state,  were  assembled 


25«          JOURNEY  THROUGH   THE  CIIINKSK  KMl'IKK. 

at  the  communal  palace  to  bid  us  farewell,  and  to  over- 
whelm us  with  the  most  extravagant  compliments. 
They  accompanied  us  into  the  street,  and  would  not  go 
back  till  they  had  seen  their  unlooked-for  colleagues  of 
the  preceding  night  properly  installed  in  their  palan- 
quins. All  the  way  we  went  along,  the  crowd  was  im- 
mense, and  animated  by  the  most  noisy  and  feverish 
eagerness  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  us — or,  at  least,  of  our 
yellow  caps.  Here  and  there  were  assembled  groups 
of  Christians,  who,  we  saw  with  pleasure,  were  assum- 
ing a  tolerably  courageous  deportment.  All  wore  their 
chaplets  round  their  necks,  and  when  we  came  up  to 
them,  threw  themselves  on  their  knees,  and  begged  our 
blessing  in  chorus,  making,  as  they  did  so,  a  bold  sign 
of  the  cross.  We  did  not  perceive  that  this  religious 
act  excited  among  the  pagans  the  least  inclination  to 
hostility  or  mockery.  They  kept  a  respectful  silence, 
or  contented  themselves  with  saying,  "  Here  are  Chris- 
Btians  who  are  asking  the  masters  of  their  religion  to  call 
down  felicity  from  Heaven  upon  them." 

In  the  last  street,  before  we  left  the  town,  we  saw  a 
long  line  of  women,  who  appeared  also  to  be  waiting  the 
passing  of  the  men  with  yellow  caps  and  red  girdles. 
When  our  palanquins  came  opposite  them,  after  having 
tottered  a  few  seconds  on  their  little  lame  feet,  they 
ended  by  kneeling  down,  and  making  also  the  sign  of 
the  cross.  They  were  Christian  women  of  Leang-chan, 
who,  under  these  circumstances,  had  judged  it  proper 
not  to  "  draw  in  their  hearts,"  but  to  shake  off,  at  least 
for  once,  the  hard  yoke  of  servitude  which  Chinese  prej- 
udice imposes  on  their  sex.  The  people  of  our  escort 
seemed  rather  surprised  at  such  an  audacious  demon- 
stration, but  we  did  not  hear  any  improper  remark. 
One  of  them  cried,  on  seeing  the  women  kneel  down, 
"Well,  there  are  Christian  men,  that  I  have  known  a 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          257 

long  time,  but  I  never  knew  before  there  were  Christian 
women  /"  to  which  his  comrade  responded,  "  Nobody 
ever  thought  you  knew  much  about  any  thing." 

At  length  we  got  out  of  Leang-chan,  a  town  of  the 
third  order,  which  will  always  hold  a  place  in  the  nu- 
merous recollections  of  our  long  peregrinations.  We 
forgot  to  say  that  when  we  left  the  communal  palace, 
we  found  that  the  Mandarin  of  Tchoung-king  was  no 
longer  among  the  number  of  our  conductors.  After  dis- 
missing him  at  the  close  of  our  judicial  sitting,  we  never 
saw  him  again,  and  no  one  ever  spoke  to  us  of  him  ; 
only  at  the  moment  of  our  departure,  the  prefect  in- 
formed us  that  Lu  had  been  replaced  by  a  young  mili- 
tary Mandarin,  whom  he  presented  to  us,  and  who,  far 
from  exposing  himself  to  be  brought  to  trial,  always 
behaved  in  a  very  amiable  and  prepossessing  manner. 
The  above-mentioned  conduct  of  the  Christian  women 
of  Leang-chau,  was  one  of  the  things  that  struck  us 
most  during  our  journey  through*  the  province  of  Sse- 
tchouen.  That  women  should  collect  in  the  street  to 
see  two  persons  pass,  who  were  reputed  curious  and 
extraordinary,  who,  though  said  to  be  bom  in  Europe, 
had  traversed  Tartary,  Thibet,  and  China — there  was 
nothing  in  that  but  what  was  quite  natural.  If  these 
women  were  Christians,  it  was  natural  enough  that  they 
should  kneel  down,  and  cross  themselves,  and  ask  a 
blessing  of  a  minister  of  their  religion.  All  this  would 
be  simple  enough  in  Europe,  but  in  China  it  was  some- 
thing prodigious  ;  it  was  a  defiance  to  all  custom,  a  run- 
ning counter  to  the  most  established  ideas  and  principles. 
Such  prejudices  arise  from  the  lamentable  state  of  op- 
pression and  slavery  to  which  women  have  always  been 
reduced  among  nations  whose  sentiments  have  not  been 
ennobled  and  purified  by  Christianity. 

The  condition  of  the  Chinese  woman  is  most  pitiable ; 


258          JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMI'IUK. 

suffering,  privation,  contempt,  all  kinds  of  misery  and 
degradation,  seize  on  her  in  the  cradle,  and  accompany 
her  pitilessly  to  the  tomb.  Her  very  birth  is  commonly 
regarded  as  a  humiliation  and  a  disgrace  to  the  family — 
itu  evident  sign  of  the  malediction  of  Heaven.  If  she  be 
not  immediately  suffocated  (according  to  an  atrocious 
custom  which  we  shall  speak  of  by  and  by),  she  is  re- 
garded and  treated  as  a  creature  radically  despicable,  and 
scarcely  belonging  to  the  human  race. 

This  appears  so  incontestable  a  fact,  that  Pan-lioui- 
j)an,  celebrated,  though  a  woman,  among  Chinese  wri- 
ters, endeavors,  in  her  works,  to  humiliate  her  own  sex, 
by  reminding  them  continually  of  the  inferior  rank  they 
occupy  in  the  creation.  "When  a  son  is  born,"  she 
says,  "  he  sleeps  upon  a  bed ;  he  is  clothed  with  robes, 
and  plays  with  pearls ;  every  one  obeys  his  princely 
cries.  But  when  a  girl  is  born,  she  sleeps  iipon  the 
ground,  is  merely  wrapped  up  in  a  cloth,  plays  with 
a  tile,  and  is  incapable  of  acting  either  virtuously  or 
viciously.  She  has  nothing  to  think  of  but  preparing 
food,  making  wine,  and  not  vexing  her  parents." 

In  ancient  times,  instead  of  rejoicing  when  a  child  was 
born,  if  it  happened  to  be  of  the  inferior  sex,  they  left 
it  for  three  whole  days  on  a  heap  of  rags  .on  the  ground, 
and  the  family  did  not  manifest  the  slightest  interest  in 
so  insignificant  an  event.  When  this  time  had  expired, 
they  performed  carelessly  some  trivial  ceremony,  strik- 
ingly contrasting  with  the  solemn  rejoicings  that  took 
place  on  the  biivi  of  a  male  child.  Pan-houi-pan  refers 
to  this  ancient  custom,  and  vaunts  its  propriety  and  wis- 
dom, serving  so  well  to  prepare  woman  for  the  proper 
feeling  of  her  inferiority. 

Thi.s  public  and  private  servitude  of  women — a  servi- 
tude that  opinion,  legislation,  manners,  have  sealed  with 
their  triple  seal — has  become,  in  some  measure,  the  cor- 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          259 

ner-stone  of  Chinese  society.  The  young  girl  lives  shut 
up  in  the  house  where  she  was  born,  occupied  exclusive- 
ly with  the  cares  of  housekeeping,  treated  by  every  body, 
and  especially  by  her  brothers,  as  a  menial,  from  whom 
they  have  a  right  to  demand  the  lowest  and  most  painful 
services.  The  amusements  and  pleasures  of  her  age  are 
quite  unknown  to  her ;  her  whole  education  consists  in 
knowing  how  to  use  her  needle ;  she  neither  learns  to 
read  nor  to  write  ;  there  exists  for  her  neither  school  nor 
house  of  education ;  she  is  condemned  to  vegetate  in  the 
most  complete  and  absolute  ignorance,  and  no  one  ever 
thinks  of,  or  troubles  himself  about  her,  till  the  time 
arrives  when  she  is  to  be  married.  Nay,  the  idea  of 
her  nullity  is  carried  so  far,  that  even  in  this,  the  most 
important  and  decisive  event  in  the  life  of  a  woman, 
she  passes  for  nothing ;  the  consulting  her  in  any  way, 
or  informing  her  of  so  much  as  the  name  of  her  hus- 
band, would  be  considered  as  most  superfluous  and  ab- 
surd. 

The  young  girl  is  simply  an  object  of  traffic,  an  article 
of  merchandise  to  be  sold  to  the  highest  bidder,  without 
her  having  the  right  to  ask  a  single  question  concerning 
the  merit  or  quality  of  her  purchaser.  On  the  day  of 
the  wedding  there  is  great  anxiety  to  adorn  and  beauti- 
fy her.  She  is  clad  in  splendid  robes  of  silk,  glittering 
Avith  gold  and  jewels  ;  her  beautiful  plaits  of  raven  hair 
are  ornamented  with  flowers  and  precious  stones ;  she 
is  carried  away  in  great  pomp,  and  musicians  surround 
the  brilliant  palanquin,  where  she  sits  in  state  like  a 
queen  on  her  throne.  You  think,  perhaps,  on  witness- 
ing all  this  grandeur  and  rejoicing,  that  now,  at  last, 
her  period  of  happiness  is  about  to  begin.  But,  alas ! 
a  young  married  woman  is  but  a  victim  adorned  for  the 
sacrifice.  She  is  quitting  a  home  where,  however  neg- 
lected, she  was  in  the  society  of  the  relations  to  whom 


200          JOUUNEY   THROUGH   THE  CHINESE  E.MI'iUE. 

she  had  been  accustomed  from  her  infancy.  She  is  now 
tlirown,  young,  feeble,  and  inexperienced,  among  total 
strangers,  to  suffer  privation  and  contempt,  and  be  alto- 
gether at  the  mercy  of  her  purchaser.  In  her  new  fam- 
ily, she  is  expected  to  obey  every  one  without  exception. 
According  to  the  expression  of  an  old  Chinese  writer, 
"  the  newly-married  wife  should  be  but  a  shadow  and 
an  echo  in  the  house."  She  has  no  right  to  take  her 
meals  with  her  husband ;  nay,  not  even  with  his  male 
children:  her  duty  is  to  serve  them  at  table,  to  stand 
by  in  silence,  help  them  to  drink,  and  fill  and  light  their 
pipes.  She  must  eat  alone,  after  they  have  done,  and 
in  a  corner;  her  food  is  scanty  and  coarse,  and  she 
would  not  dare  to  touch  even  what  is  left  by  her  own 
sons. 

It  may  be  thought,  perhaps,  that  this  does  not  agree 
very  well  with  the  much-talked-of  principle  of  filial 
piety;  but  it  must  not  be  forgotten  that  in  China  a  wo- 
man counts  for  nothing.  The  law  ignores  her  exist- 
ence, or  notices  her  merely  to  load  her  with  fetters,  to 
complete  her  servitude,  and  confirm  her  legal  incapac- 
ity. Her  husband,  or  rather  her  lord  and  master,  can 
strike  her  with  impunity,  starve  her,  sell  her,  or,  what 
is  worse,  let  her  out  for  a  longer  or  shorter  period,  as  is 
a  common  practice  in  the  province  of  Tche-kiang. 

Polygamy,  which  is  allowable  in  China,  aggravates 
the  sufferings  of  the  married  woman.  When  she  is  no 
longer  young,  when  she  has  no  children,  or  none  of  the 
male  sex,  her  husband  takes  a  second  wife,  of  whom 
she  becomes  in  some  measure  the  servant.  The  houser 
hold  is  then  the  seat  of  continual  war,  full  of  jealousies, 
animosities,  quarrels,  and  not  unfrequently  of  battles. 
When  they  are  alone,  they  have  at  least  the  liberty  of 
weeping  in  secret  over  the  cureless  sorrows  of  their 
destiny. 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE   CHINESE  EMPIRE.          261 

The  state  of  perpetual  humiliation  and  wretchedness 
to  which  the  women  of  China  are  reduced  does  some- 
times drive  them  to  frightful  extremities ;  arid  the  judi- 
cial annals  are  full  of  the  most  tragical  events  arising 
from  this  cause.  The  number  of  women  who  hang 
themselves,  or  commit  suicide  in  various  ways,  is  very 
considerable.  When  this  catastrophe  occurs  in  a  family, 
the  husband  shows  usually  a  great  deal  of  emotion,  for, 
in  fact,  he  has  suffered  a  considerable  loss,  and  will  be 
under  the  necessity  of  buying  another  wife. 

The  hard  condition  of  the  poor  Chinese  women  is,  as 
will  be  supposed,  considerably  ameliorated  in  the  Chris- 
tian families.  As  it  is  remarked  by  Monseigneur  Gerbet, 
"  Christianity,  which  strikes  at  the  very  root  of  slavery, 
by  its  doctrine  of  the  divine  fraternity  of  all  men,  com- 
bats in  a  special  manner  the  slavery  of  women,  by  its 
dogma  of  the  divine  maternity  of  Mary.  How  should 
the  daughters  of  Eve  remain  slaves  from  the  fallen  Adam, 
since  the  restored  Eve,  the  new  mother  of  all  living,  has 
become  the  Queen  of  Angels.  When  we  enter  those 
chapels  of  the  Virgin  to  which  devotion  has  given  a  spe- 
cial celebrity,  we  remark  with  pious  interest  the  ex  voto 
suspended  there  by  the  hand  of  a  mother  Avhose  child 
has  been  cured — of  a  sailor  saved  from  shipwreck  by 
the  patroness  of  mariners.  But  the  eyes  of  reason  and 
history  see  in  the  worship  of  Mary  an  ideal  temple  which 
Catholicism  has  constructed  for  all  times  and  for  all 
ages  ;  an  ex  voto  of  a  higher  social  and  universal  signi- 
fication. Man  had  pressed  with  a  brutal  sceptre  on  the 
head  of  his  companion  for  forty  centuries ;  but  he  laid 
it  down  on  the  day  when  he  knelt  before  the  altar  of 
Mary — he  laid  it  down  with  gratitude ;  for  the  oppres- 
sion of  his  wife  had  been  his  own  degradation,  and  he 
was  delivered  then  from  his  own  tyranny." — (Monseig- 
neur (jrerbet.  Keepsake  Iteliyieuse.) 


262          JOURNEY   THROUGH   THE   (  IIINKSI.   EMPIRE. 

The  recovery  of  women  in  China  from  this  abject 
slate  is  going  on  slowly,  it  is  true,  but  in  a  most  strik- 
ing and  effectual  manner.  In  the  first  place,  it  need 
hardly  be  said  that  the  little  girl  born  in  a  Christian 
family  is  not  murdered,  as  is  often  the  case  among  the 
pagans.  Religion  is  there  to  watch  over  her  at  her 
birth,  to  take  her  lovingly  in  its  arms,  and  say,  Here  is 
a  child  created  in  the  image  of  God,  and  predestined, 
like  you,  to  immortality.  Thank  the  Heavenly  Father 
for  having  given  her  to  you ;  and  implore  the  Queen  of 
Angels  to  be  her  patroness. 

The  young  Christian  girl  is  not  permitted  to  stagnate 
in  ignorance;  she  does  not  vegetate,  forsaken  by  every 
one,  in  a  corner  of  the  paternal  mansion ;  for  since  she 
must  learn  her  prayers  and  study  the  Christian  doc- 
trine, it  is  necessary  to  renounce  in  her  favor  the  most 
inveterate  prejudices  of  her  nation.  Schools  must  be 
founded  for  her,  where  she  may  be  enabled  to  develop 
her  intellects,  to  learn  in  the  books  of  her  religion  those 
mysterious  characters  which  are  for  other  Chinese  wo- 
men an  inexplicable  enigma.  She  will  be  in  the  society 
of  numerous  companions  of  her  own  age ;  and  at  the 
same  time  that  her  mind  is  becoming  enlarged  and  her 
heart  formed  to  virtue,  she  will  learn  in  some  measure 
in  what  consists  the  life  of  this  world. 

It  is  more  especially  by  marriage  contracted  in  the 
Christian  form  that  the  Chinese  woman  shakes  off  the 
frightful  servitude  of  pagan  customs,  and  enters  on  the 
rights  and  privileges  of  the  great  family  of  humanity. 
Although  the  power  of  prejudice  and  habit  may  not 
even  yet  always  permit  her  to  manifest  her  inclinations 
openly,  and  choose  for  herself  him  who  is  destined  in 
this  life  to  partake  her  joys  and  her  sorrows,  her  wishes 
do  nevertheless  count  for  something ;  and  we  have  our- 
selves, more  than  once,  known  instances  of  young  girls 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          263 

who,  by  their  energetic  resistance,  have  induced  their 
parents  to  break  off  engagements  entered  into  without 
their  participation.  Such  a  fact  would  be  regarded  as 
absurd  and  impossible  among  the  pagans.  The  Chris- 
tian women  also  always  possess  in  their  families  the 
influence  and  the  prerogatives  of  wives  and  mothers ; 
and  it  may  be  observed  that  they  enjoy  greater  liberty 
out  of  doors.  The  practice  of  assembling  on  Sundays 
and  festival  days  at  chapels  and  oratories  to  pray  in 
common,  and  be  present  at  the  divine  offices,  creates  and 
maintains  relations  of  intimacy  among  them.  They  go 
out  oftener  to  visit  each  other,  and  form  from  time  to 
time  those  little  social  parties  which  are  so  useful  in  dis- 
sipating care  and  vexation,  and  in  helping  one  to  sup- 
port the  burden  of  life.  Pagan  women  know  nothing 
of  these  comforts  and  consolations ;  they  are  almost  al- 
ways secluded,  and  nobody  cares  if  they  wear  out  their 
souls  in  languor  and  ennui.  Master  Ting,  in  speaking 
with  us  concerning  the  Leang-chan  demonstration,  men- 
tioned it  as  such  an  enormity,  that  it  is  evident  what  is 
the  value  of  women  in  the  estimation  of  the  Chinese. 

"As  we  were  leaving  Leang-chan,"  said  he,  "when 
we  passed  through  that  street  where  there  were  so  many 
women  assembled,  I  heard  it  said  that  they  were  Chris- 
tians. Isn't  that  nonsense  ?" 

"No,  certainly;  it  was  the  truth.  They  were  Chris- 
tians." 

Master  Ting  looked  stupefied  with  astonishment,  and 
his  arms  fell  down  by  his  side.      "I  don't  understand 
that,"  said  he.      "I  have  heard  you  say  that  people  be^ 
come  Christians  to  save  their  souls.     Is  that  it  ?" 
"Yes;  that  is  the  object  we  propose  to  ourselves." 
"  Then  what  can  the  women  become  Christians  for?" 
"What  for?     To  save  their  souls,  like  the  men." 
"  But  they  have  no  souls,"  said  Master  Ting,  stepping 


-..I        JUUJNKY  TIIKOUGH  TIIK  CIIINKSK  K.MPIKI:. 

back  a  pace,  and  folding  his  arms;  "women  have  no 
H>ii Is.  You  can't  make  Christians  of  them." 

We  endeavored  to  remove  the  scruples  of  the  worthy 
man  upon  this  point,  and  to  give  him  some  few  sounder 
ideas  on  the  subject  of  women's  souls ;  but  we  are  by 
no  means  sure  we  succeeded.  The  very  notion  tickled 
his  fancy  so  much,  that  he  laughed  with  all  his  might. 
"Nevertheless,"  he  said,  after  having  listened  to  our 
dissertation,  "I  will  be  sure  to  recollect  what  you  have 
been  telling  me,  and,  when  I  get  home  again  to  my  fam- 
ily, I  will  tell  my  wife  that  she  has  got  a  soul.  She 
will  be  a  little  astonished,  I  think." 

The  Chinese  Christian  women  feel  deeply  how  much 
they  owe  to  a  religion  that  is  releasing  them  from  the 
hard  bondage  in  which  they  have  hitherto  groaned,  and 
which,  while  guiding  them  on  the  way  to  eternal  life, 
procures  for  them  even  in  this  world  joys  and  consola- 
tions that  seem  made  expressly  for  them.  They  show 
themselves  grateful  too ;  they  are  full  of  fervox  and  zeal ; 
and  one  may  say  that  the  progress  that  has  been  made 
in  the  propagation  of  the  faith  in  the  Celestial  Empire  is 
principally  owing  to  them.  They  maintain  the  regular- 
ity and  exactness  of  the  prayers  in  the  Christian  com- 
munities ;  they  may  be  seen  braving  the  prejudices  of 
public  opinion,  and  practicing  with  much  self-devotion 
works  of  Christian  charity,  even  toward  the  pagans, 
taking  care  of  the  sick,  collecting  and  adopting  the 
children  abandoned  by  their  mothers.  It  is  they  who, 
in  times  of  persecution,  confess  the  faith  in  presence  of 
the  Mandarins,  with  most  courage  and  perseverance.  In 
general,  indeed,  the  zeal  of  women  in  the  cause  of  relig- 
^ion  has  been  remarked  in  all  ages  and  countries. 

"  History  informs  us,  that  whenever  the  Gospel  has 
been  preached  in  any  country,  women  have  always 
shown  a  particular  interest  in  the  Word  of  Life,  and 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.  265 

habitually  preceded  men  in  their  divine  eagerness  to  re- 
ceive and  propagate  it.  One  would  say  that  the  response 
of  Mary  to  the  angel,  'Behold  the  handmaid  of  the 
Lord,'  finds  a  stronger  echo  in  their  souls.  This  was 
prefigured  in  the  very  commencement  of  Christianity  in 
the  persons  of  the  holy  friends  of  the  Virgin,  who,  hav- 
ing run  before  even  the  well-beloved  disciple  to  the  tomb 
of  the  Saviour,  were  the  first  to  become  acquainted  with 
the  fact  of  the  resurrection,  and  to  announce  it  to  the 
Apostles.  Women  have  always  held  a  high  rank  in  the 
preaching  of  the  Gospel. 

"At  the  commencement  of  all  great  religious  epochs,  a 
mysterious  celestial  form — the  form  of  a  saint — is  seen 
heralding  its  progress.  When  Christianity  issued  from 
the  catacombs,  Helena,  the  mother  of  Constantine,  pre- 
sented to  the  ancient  Roman  world  the  recovered  cross, 
which  Clotilda  soon  erected  over  the  Frank  cradle  of 
modern  society.  The  Church  owes  in  part  the  greatest 
triumphs  of  St.  Jerome  to  the  hospitality  offered  to  him 
by  Saint  Paula  in  her  peaceful  retreat  at  Palestine,  where 
she  instituted  an  academy  for  Roman  Christian  ladies. 
Monica,  by  her  prayers,  brought  forth  the  true  Augus- 
tine. In  the  middle  ages,  Saint  Hildegarda,  Saint 
Catherine  of  Sienna,  Saint  Theresa,  preserved  much 
better  than  the  greater  part  of  the  learned  doctors  of 
their  time  the  tradition  of  a  mystic  philosophy — so  good, 
so  vivifying  to  the  heart,  the  spring  to  which,  in  our  own 
age,  more  than  one  soul,  dried  and  withered  by  doubt, 
has  come  to  bathe  and  refresh  itself,  and  seek  to  return 
to  truth  by  the  way  of  love." — (Monseigneur  Gerbet, 
Keepsake  Iteligieuse.} 

After  the  triumphal  night  at  Leang-chan,  we  had  a 

magnificent  journey  by  a  fine  road  across  an  enchanting 

country.     The  rays  of  the  sun,  indeed,  were  somewhat 

too  powerful,  but  we  were  beginning  to  get  accustomed 

VOL.  I.—  M 


266  JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMI'IKE. 

to  this  high  temperature,  as  we  had  got  accustomed  to 
the  frost  and  snow  of  Tartary. 

Toward  the  end  of  the  day  we  stopped  at  a  certain 
place  named  Yao-tchang.  This  town,  though  rather 
a  considerable  one,  was  not  surrounded  by  ramparts. 
No  Mandarin  appeared  to  have  a  fixed  residence  there ; 
there  was  no  communal  palace,  and  consequently  we 
were  obliged  to  look  out  for  the  best  lodging  we  could 
find.  At  first  we  made  the  experiment  at  an  old  inn, 
called  on  its  sign  the  Hotel  of  the  Beatitudes,  and  the 
chief  of  this  establishment  conducted  us  with  great  cer- 
emony to  what  he  called  his  chamber  of  honor.  It  was 
situated  immediately  over  the  kitchen,  and  it  is  very 
possible  that  it  was  for  various  reasons  a  very  honorable 
apartment.  But  experienced  travelers  must  not  think 
only  of  vain  glory,  and  it  appeared  to  us  that  this  cham- 
ber of  honor,  to  which  air  and  light  only  entered  by  a 
narrow  skylight,  was  not  altogether  an  eligible  abode 
for  us.  In  fact  it  Avas,  to  speak  plainly,  an  abominable 
den,  haunted  by  legions  of  mosquitoes,  which  on  our 
entrance  issued  forth  full  of  wrath  from  every  corner, 
and  began  to  whirl  and  buzz  around  us,  and  declare 
implacable  war.  There  exhaled  also  from  this  gloomy 
hole  such  a  noisome  vapor  of  mouldy,  fusty  antiquity, 
that  the  very  idea  of  passing  the  night  there  made  one 
sick.  We  were  assured,  nevertheless,  that  this  was  the 
best  hotel  at  Yao-tchang,  and  it  is  by  no  means  impos- 
sible, judging  from  the  general  aspect  of  the  locality, 
that  it  might  be  so.  Whether  we  liked  it  or  not,  there- 
fore, it  seemed  we  should  have  to  put  up  with  it ;  and 
we  were  making  our  preparations  to  manage  as  well  as 
we  could,  when  the  smoke  from  the  kitchen  chimney, 
after  having-  climbed  slowly  up  the  steps  of  the  black 
narrow  staircase,  began  to  invade  our  chamber  of  honor 
in  such  quantities  Iliat  it  was  not  possible  to  remain 


JOUKNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIKE.          267 

there  any  longer.  The  acrid  nature  of  the  smoke  pained 
our  eyes,  so  that  we  descended  weeping  to  the  kitchen, 
in  search  of  Master  Ting,  whom  we  found  stuffed  into  a 
corner,  intoxicating  himself  with  opium.  As  soon  as  he 
saw  us  he  raised  his  head  a  little  from  his  bamboo  pillow, 
and  asked  whether  we  were  comfortable  up  stairs.  "  Not 
very;  we  are  suffocated  by  foul  air,  blinded  by  smoke 
and  devoured  by  mosquitoes." 

"  Those  three  things  are  very  bad,"  responded  Master 
Ting,  laying  down  his  pipe,  and  exerting  himself  so  far 
as  to  raise  himself  into  a  sitting  posture ;  "  but  what  is 
to  be  done  ? — there  is  no  communal  palace  in  this  place, 
and  the  other  inns  are  worse  than  this.  The  case  is 
very  difficult." 

"  No,  not  very  difficult ;  what  we  want  is  a  little  cool 
fresh  air.  We  will  go  into  the  country,  and  take  up  our 
lodging  under  a  tree.  We  were  accustomed  to  sleep 
thus  in  the  open  air  for  a  long  time." 

"  Yes ;  it  is  said  that  this  custom  exists  among  the 
Mongols,  in  the  Land  of  Grass,  but  here,  in  the  Central 
Kingdom,  it  is  not  received.  Men  of  quality  can  not 
pass  the  night  in  the  fields  with  birds  and  insects ;  the 
rites  are  opposed  to  it.  But  wait  a  moment ;  I  think 
I  know  a  good  place ;  I  will  go  and  see  about  it :"  and 
thereupon  our  dear  Mandarin  rose  up,  put  out  his  little 
smoking-lamp,  took  his  fan  and  went  out. 
-  We  waited  for  his  return  at  the  door  of  the  inn,  and 
a  short  time  afterward  we  saw  him  coming  back,  taking 
as  long  strides  as  he  possibly  could,  and  addressing  to 
us  from  a  distance,  with  his  two  arms,  some  telegraphic 
signs,  which,  on  account  of  their  multiplicity  and  their 
extreme  complication,  we  could  not  understand.  We 
were  inclined  to  think,  nevertheless,  that  Master  Ting 
had  made  a  discovery.  As  soon  as  he  was  near  enough 
to  make  us  hear,  he  cried,  in  his  sharp  nasal  tones, 


2C)S        j o r i ; M ; v  T  1 1  KC  >  r  < ;  1 1  T 1 1 1<;  cm N ESE  EMPI KE. 

"Let  us  move  directly;  we  can  go  and  lodge  at  the 
theatre:  it's  an  excellent  place  for  seeing  and  breath- 
ing!" 

Without  asking  for  any  more  explanation  we  went 
Lack  into  the  house.  A  porter  appeared,  who  took  up 
our  baggage,  and,  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  we  had 
left  the  Hotel  of  Beatitudes  to  become  tenants  of  the 
theatre  of  Yao-tchang.  This  theatre  formed  part  of  a 
great  Bonze  convent,  and  was  situated  in  an  immense 
court-yard  opposite  to  the  principal  pagoda.  Its  con- 
struction was  rather  remarkable,  in  comparison  with  the 
numerous  edifices  of  this  kind  to  be  met  with  in  China. 
Twelve  great  granite  columns  supported  a  vast  square 
platform  surmounted  by  a  pavilion  richly  ornamented, 
and  supported  on  pillars  of  varnished  wood. 

A  broad  stone  staircase,  situated  at  the  back  of  the 
building,  led  to  the  platform,  first  into  an  apartment  in- 
tended for  the  actors,  and  thence  to  the  stage  by  two 
side  doors,  which  served  for  entrances  and  exits.  Upon 
the  stage  were  placed  some  chairs  and  a  table,  and  there 
we  supped  by  the  light  of  the  moon  and  stars,  as  well 
as  of  a  number  of  lanterns,  which  the  directors  of  the 
theatre  had  had  kindled  in  our  honor;  it  was  really  a 
charming  spectacle,  and  one  altogether  unlocked  for.  If 
we  had  not  taken  the  precaution  to  have  the  great  gate 
of  the  Bonze  convent  shut,  we  should  soon  have  had 
the  whole  population  of  Yao-tchang  in  the  space  that 
was  intended  to  serve  for  a  pit.  It  is  certain  that  the 
inhabitants  of  this  place  had  never  seen  on  their  stage 
any  thing  they  would  think  as  curious  as  ourselves. 
We  heard  a  tumultuous  mob  outside,  demanding  with 
loud  cries  to  be  allowed  a  sight  of  the  two  men  from 
the  Western  seas  at  supper.  They  seemed  to  think 
we  must  have  some  quite  peculiar  and  extraordinary 
nut  hod  of  eating.  Some  succeeded  in  getting  upon  the 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  L5JPIRE.         269 

roof  of  the  Bonze  convent,  and  some  had  climbed  over 
the  inclosure  and  up  into  some  high  trees,  whence  they 
could  command  a  view  of  us,  and  where  we  saw  them 
jumping  about  among  the  leaves  like  large  monkeys. 
These  curious  and  intrepid  persons  must  have  been 
much  disappointed  to  see  us  eating  our  rice  with  chop 
sticks,  quite  in  the  established  Chinese  fashion. 

The  evening  was  delightfully  fine,  and  the  air  de- 
licious on  this  platform,  where  we  begged  our  servant 
to  place  our  beds,  as  we  desired  to  pass  the  night  there. 
All  was  made  ready,  and  we  wished  to  go  to  bed;  but 
our  watchful  observers  manifested  no  inclination  to  quit 
their  posts,  and  at  last  we  bad  to  put  out  the  lanterns, 
in  order  to  drive  them  home.  As  they  departed,  we 
heard  some  of  them  say,  "Why,  these  men  are  just 
like  us!"  "Not  quite,"  said  another;  "the  little  devil 
has  very  large  eyes,  and  the  tall  one  a  very  pointed 
nose.  I  noticed  that  difference." 

At  break  of  day,  Master  Ting  arrived,  presented  him- 
self on  the  stage,  and  was  so  obliging  as  to  set  about 
waking  us,  by  giving  a  roll  on  an  enormous  drum  which 
stood  in  a  corner,  and,  doubtless,  served  for  the  orches- 
tra, when  there  was  a  performance. 

After  having  thus  exhibited  his  talents  as  a  drum- 
mer, he  bethought  himself  to  give  us,  also,  a  specimen 
of  his  dramatic  capabilities.  He,  therefore,  placed  him- 
self in  the  middle  of  the  stage,  threw  himself  into  a 
theatrical  attitude,  sang  a  song  with  much  gesticulation, 
and  then  undertook,  solus,  a  very  animated  dialogue, 
changing  his  voice  and  his  place  when  the  turn  of  the 
supposed  interlocutor  came.  When  the  dialogue  was 
finished,  he  was  not  tired,  but  favored  us,  also,  with  a; 
taste  of  his  quality  as  a  tumbler.  "Now,"  said  he, 
"  do  you  pay  attention,  I  am  going  to  show  you  some 
tricks  of  agility ;"  and  in  a  moment,  there  he  was,  leap- 


270          JOUliNEY   TIlKOUGIl    THE   CIIINT.SK    KMI'JUE. 

ing,  gamboling,  pirouetting,  and  tumbling  head  over 
heels.  But,  just  as  he  was  at  the  height  of  his  perform- 
ance, a  door  of  the  Bonze  convent  was  heard  to  open, 
and  he  immediately  stopped  short,  and  rushed  off  into 
the  slips,  saying  it  would  never  do  to  allow  the  people 
to  sec  a  Mandarin  mimicking  the  play-actors. 

\Vc  profited  by  his  absence  to  get  up,  and  very  soon 
all  the  people  of  our  escort,  who  the  preceding  night 
had  been  obliged  to  disperse  and  seek  a  lodging,  were 
assembled  at  the  gates.  The  palanquin  bearers  and 
porters  arrived  shortly  after,  and  all  was  made  ready 
for  our  departure. 

Yao-tchang  is  built  on  tbe  banks  of  the  Blue  River, 
whose  tranquil  and  majestic  course  we  could  perceive 
from  the  top  of  the  Bonze  convent ;  and,  although  we 
had  more  than  once  protested  against  traveling  -by 
water,  we  thought  we  would  make  one  more  experi- 
ment, and  see  whether  we  could  not  manage  to  make  it 
more  agreeable  than  it  had  been  the  first  time. 

In  a  very  long  journey,  some  change  in  the  mode  of 
traveling  is  always  desirable,  as  the  uniformity  becomes 
at  last  excessively  wearisome :  the  palanquin  has,  doubt- 
less, its  advantages,  which  are  not  to  be  despised ;  but 
to  be  for  a  long  time  together  shut  up  every  day  in  a 
cage,  and  balanced  upon  the  shoulders  of  four  unfortu- 
nate fellows,  whom  you  see  panting,  and  perspiring 
Avith  heat  and  fatigue — one  does,  sometimes,  get  rather 
tired  of  that. 

We  proposed,  therefore,  to  our  conductors  to  make  a 
stage  by  water ;  the  proposal  was  received  with  enthu- 
siasm, and,  for  fear  we  should  change  our  minds,  every 
body  made  as  much  haste  as  possible  in  preparing  for 
the  embarkation:  as  they  knew  that  we  had  a  horror  ot 
dawdling,  they  displayed  a  really  marvelous  activity. 
According  to  our  recommendation,  two  boats  were  hired, 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          271 

one  for  ourselves  and  the  Mandarins,  the  other  for  the 
soldiers,  attendants,  and  palanquin  bearers ;  and  as 
soon  as  ever  we  came  on  board  they  weighed  anchor, 
and  we  set  off,  the  beauty  of  the  weather  and  the  calm- 
ness of  the  water  affording  us  hopes  of  a  pleasant  jour- 
ney. The  cabin  we  occupied  was  spacious,  and  pretty 
well  ventilated;  and  if  not  absolutely  clean,  was  at 
least  tolerably  dirty. 

We  had  not  yet  had  time  to  offer  Master  Ting  our 
compliments  on  the  brilliant  theatrical  abilities  he  had 
developed,  and  we  now  expressed  to  him  the  happiness 
we  felt  in  admiring  in  him  a  talent  that  we  had  not  ex- 
pected. Our  little  dose  of  flattery  had  a  magical  effect. 
After  having  replied,  with  due  modesty,  that  he  had  no 
talent  of  the  sort,  he  immediately  proposed  to  go  through 
a  little  dramatic  piece  in  the  cabin,  with  the  assistance 
of  the  two  military  Mandarins,  who  also  volunteered  to 
take  a  part.  There  was  no  need  of  any  long  prepara- 
tion ;  the  proposal  was  scarcely  made  before  the  two 
functionaries  had  begun  their  comedy,  if  one  may  give 
that  name  to  a  buffoonish  dialogue,  seasoned  with  grim- 
ace and  contortion. 

Their  repertoire  appeared  inexhaustible,  and,  now 
they  had  once  begun,  AVC  had  great  difficulty  in  inducing 
them  to  resume  a  language  and  manners  more  in  accord- 
ance with  their  official  dignity.  To  say  the  truth,  how- 
ever, our  Mandarins  really  only  wanted  a  little  more 
practice,  and  a  rather  better  memory,  to  make  excellent 
actors.  There  is,  perhaps,  not  a  people  in  the  world 
who  carry  so  far  their  taste  and  passion  for  theatrical 
entertainments  as  the  Chinese.  We  said  just  now  that 
they  were  a  nation  of  cooks,  and  we  might  also  assert, 
with  truth,  that  they  are  a  nation  of  actors.  These  men 
have  minds  and  bodies  endowed  with  so  much  supple- 
ness and  elasticity,  that  they  can  transform  themselves 


272          JOURNEY   THUorCII    THE   CHINESE   EMI'IKE. 

at  will,  and  express  by  turns  the  most  opposite  passions. 
There  is,  in  fact,  a  good  deal  of  the  monkey  in  their  na- 
ture, and,  when  one  has  lived  some  time  among  them, 
one  can  not  but  wonder  how  people  in  Europe  could 
ever  take  it  into  their  heads  that  China  was  a  kind  of 
vast  academy,  peopled  with  sages  and  philosophers. 
Their  gravity  and  their  wisdom,  exclusive  of  some  offi- 
cial proceedings,  are  scarcely  found  out  of  their  classical 
books.  The  Celestial  Empire  has  much  more  resem- 
blance to  an  immense  fair,  where,  amidst  a  perpetual 
llux  and  reflux  of  buyers  and  sellers,  of  brokers,  loung- 
ers, and  thieves,  you  spe  in  all  quarters  stages  and 
mountebanks,  jokers  and  comedians,  laboring  uninter- 
ruptedly to  amuse  the  public.  Over  the  whole  surface 
of  the  country,  in  the  eighteen  provinces,  in  the  towns 
of  the  first,  second,  and  third  order,  in  the  burghs  and 
the  villages,  rich  and  poor,  Mandarins  and  people,  all 
the  Chinese,  without  exception,  are  passionately  addicted 
to  dramatic  representations.  There  are  theatres  every 
where ;  the  great  towns  are  full  of  them,  and  the  actors 
play  night  and  day.  There  is  no  little  village  that  has 
not  its  theatre,  which  is  usually  placed  opposite  to  the 
pagoda,  and  sometimes  even  forms  a  part  of  it.  In  some 
circumstances  the  permanent  theatres  are  not  found  suf- 
ficient, and  then  the  Chinese  construct  temporary  ones, 
with  wonderful  facility,  out  of  bamboo.  The  Chinese 
theatre  is  always  extremely  simple,  and  its  arrangements 
are  such  as  to  exclude  all  idea  of  scenic  illusion.  The 
decorations  are  fixed,  and  do  not  change  as  long  as  the 
piece  lasts.  One  would  never  know  what  they  were  in- 
tended for,  if  the  actors  themselves  did  not  take  care  to 
inform  the  public,  and  correct  the  motionless  character 
of  the  scenes  by  verbal  explanations.  The  only  arrange- 
ment that  is  ever  made  with  a  view  to  scenic  effect  is  the 
introduction  of  a  kind  of  trap-door  in  the  front  of  the 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          273 

stage,  that  serves  for  the  entrances  and  exits  of  super- 
natural personages,  and  goes  by  the  nanre  of  the  "  Gate 
of  Demons." 

The  collections  of  Chinese  dramatic  pieces  are  very 
extensive ;  the  richest  is  that  of  the  Mongol  dynasty, 
called  the  yuen,  and  it  is  from  this  repertory  that  various 
pieces,  translated  by  learned  Europeans,  have  been  taken. 
With  respect  to  their  -literary  merit,  we  may  quote  the 
judgment  pronounced  on  them  by  M.  Edouard  Biot. 
"  The  plot  of  all  these  pieces,"  says  that  learned  Chinese 
scholar,  "  is  very  simple ;  the  actors  themselves  an- 
nounce the  person  they  represent ;  there  is  seldom  any 
connection  between  the  scenes,  and  very  often  the  most 
burlesque  details  are  mingled  with  the  gravest  sub- 
jects.* 

"  In  general,  it  does  not  appear  that  these  pieces 
deserve  to  be  rated  above  our  old  booth  plays ;  and  we 
may  believe  that  the  dramatic  art  in  China  is  still  in  its 
infancy,  if  we  can  trust  the  accounts  of  travelers  who 
have  been  present  at  theatrical  performances  at  Canton, 
and  even  at  Pekin. 

"  It  may  be  that  its  imperfect  state  depends  in  a 
great  measure  on  the  degraded  condition  of  the  Chinese 
actors,  who  are  mere  servants,  hired  for  wages  by  a 
speculator,  and  who  have  to  please  an  ignorant  mob,  in 
order  to  earn  their  wretched  subsistence.  But,  if  we 
find  little  intrinsic  merit  in  the  Chinese  chefs-cTosuvres 
which  have  been  presented  to  European  readers,  they 
can  not  but  be  curious,  regarded  as  studies  of  manners ; 
and,  in  this  point  of  view,  we  sincerely  thank  the  learned 
men  who  have  introduced  them  to  us." 

The  companies  of  Chinese  actors  are  not  attached  to 
any  theatre  in  particular ;  they  are  all  of  the  itinerant 

*  It  might  have  been  added  that  Chinese  dramas  are  full  of  very 
equivocal  jokes,  and  often  of  revolting  obscenity. 

M* 


iiT-1          JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

class,  going  wherever  they  are  wanted,  and  traveling 
with  an  enormous  apparatus  of  costumes  and  decorations. 
The  appearance  of  these  caravans  is  very  peculiar,  and 
recalls  the  picturesque  descriptions  of  our  gangs  of 
gipsies.  You  often  meet  with  them  on  the  rivers, 
which  they  travel  on  by  preference,  for  reasons  of 
economy. 

These  wandering  bands  are  usually  hired  for  a  cer- 
tain number  of  days ;  sometimes  by  Mandarins  or 
rich  private  persons,  but  more  frequently  by  associa- 
tions formed  in  the  various  quarters  of  towns  and  in 
villages. 

There  is  always  some  pretext  for  getting  up  a  play — 
the  promotion  of  a  Mandarin,  a  good  harvest,  a  lucrative 
speculation,  a  danger  to  be  averted,  the  cessation  of  a 
drought,  or  of  rain;  every  event,  whether  fortunate  or 
unfortunate,  must  always  be  celebrated  by  a  theatrical 
performance.  The  heads  of  the  district  assemble,  and 
decree  that  there  shall  be  a  play,  lasting  so  many  days, 
and  then  every  body  has  to  contribute  to  the  expenses 
in  proportion  to  his  means.  Sometimes  this  is  done  by 
one  person,  who  wishes  to  offer  a  treat  to  his  fellow 
citizens,  or  to  obtain  for  himself  the  character  of  being 
a  generous  man. 

In  commercial  transactions  of  importance  there  is 
often  a  stipulation  that,  over  and  above  the  price, 
there  shall  be  a  certain  number  of  dramatic  entertain- 
ments given  by  one  or  other  party.  Sometimes  dis- 
putes arise  concerning  this  article  of  the  treaty,  and  he 
who  is  declared  by  the  arbiters  to  have  been  in  the 
wrong,  has  to  pay  one  or  two  representations  by  way  of 
fine. 

The  lower  classes  of  the  people  are  always  admitted 
gratuitously  to  the  theatre,  and  they  never  fail  to  profit 
by  the  permission.  Some  theatre  or  other  is  always  to 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.  275 

be  found  open  at  every  hour  of  the  day  or  night  in  the 
great  towns.  The  villages  are  not  so  favored,  and  as 
they  have  but  few  subscribers,  they  can  only  afford  to 
have  the  actors  at  certain  periods  of  the  year.  If  they 
hear,  however,  that  there  is  a  play  to  be  performed  any 
where  in  their  neighborhood,  the  villagers  will  often, 
after  all  the  toil  of  the  day,  walk  five  or  six  miles  to 
see  it. 

The  spectators  are  always  in  the  open  air,  and  the 
place  assigned  to  them  has  no  precise  limit.  Every  one 
chooses  the  best  post  he  can  find,  in  the  street,  upon 
the  roof  of  a  house,  or  up  a  tree,  so  that  the  clamor  and 
confusion  prevailing  in  these  assemblies  may  easily  be 
imagined.  The  whole  audience  eats,  drinks,  smokes, 
and  talks  as  much  as  it  pleases.  The  small  dealers  in 
provisions  move  about  incessantly  among  the  crowd ; 
and  whilst  the  actors  are  exerting  all  their  talents  to 
revive  before  the  public  some  great  national  or  tragic 
event,  these  merchants  are  howling  themselves  hoarse 
to  announce  the  bits  of  sugar-cane,  sweet  fried  pota- 
toes, and  other  dainties  contained  in  their  ambulatory 
shops. 

It  is  not  the  custom  at  theatres  in  China  to  applaud 
or  hiss.  Women  are  forbidden  to  appear  on  the  stage, 
and  their  parts  are  played  by  young  men,  who  imitate 
so  well  the  feminine  voice  and  dress,  that  the  resem- 
blance is  perfect.  Custom  does,  however,  permit  the 
women  to  dance  on  the  rope,  or  perform  equestrian  feats ; 
and  they  show,  especially  in  the  northern  provinces,  pro- 
digious skill  in  these  exercises.  One  can  hardly  con- 
ceive how,  with  their  little  feet,  they  can  dance  on  a 
tight  rope,  stand  firmly  on  horseback,  and  perform  many 
other  difficult  feats. 

As  we  have  before  had  occasion  to  remark,  the  Chi- 
nese succeed  wonderfully  well  in  all  that  depends  on  ad- 


276          JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

dress  and  agility.  Jugglers  are  very  numerous,  and  the 
skill  of  many  of  them  would  astonish  our  most  celebrated 
sleight-of-hand  practitioners. 

Our  voyage  on  the  Blue  River  was  rapid  and  extreme- 
ly pleasant.  We  arrived  at  Fou-ki-hien  in  the  after- 
noon, having  gone  150  li,  or  about  45  miles,  in  four 
hours  and  a  half.  « 


CHAPTER   VII. 

Temple  of  Literary  Composition — Quarrel  with  a  Doctor — A  Citizen 
in  the  Cangue — His  Deliverance — Visit  to  the  Tribunal  of  Ou-chan 
— The  Prefect  and  Military  Commandant  of  Ou-chan — Medical  Ju- 
risprudence of  the  Chinese — Inspection  of  Dead  Bodies — Frequent 
Suicides  in  China — Considerations  on  this  subject — Singular  Char- 
acter of  Chinese  Politeness — The  Boundaries  which  separate  the 
Frontier  of  Sse-tchouen  from  that  of  Hou-pe' — Glance  over  Sse- 
tchouen — Its  principal  Productions — Character  of  its  Inhabitants — 
Kouang-ti,  God  of  War,  and  Patron  of  the  Mantchou  Dynasty — Offi- 
cial Worship  paid  to  him — Wells  of  Salt  and  Fire — State  of  Scien- 
tific Knowledge  among  the  Chinese  —  State  ol  Christianity  in  the 
Province  of  Sse-tchouen. 

FOU-KI-HIEN  is  a  town  of  the  third  rank,  built  on  the 
left  bank  of  the  Blue  River.  We  were  struck  on  our 
arrival  by  the  distinguished  and  elegant  appearance  of 
its  inhabitants.  It  is  said  that  literature  is  here  held 
in  great  honor,  and  that  the  district  of  Fou-ki-hien  con- 
tains immense  numbers  of  students  and  lettered  men  of 
every  grade. 

As  the  communal  palace  is  situated  in  a  not  very 
airy  quarter,  a  very  cool  and  pleasant  lodging  had  been 
prepared  for  us  in  the  Wen-tchang-koun,  or  Temple  of 
Literary  Composition,  where  the  assemblies  of  the  liter- 
ary corporation  are  held,  and  the  examinations  for  de- 
grees take  place. 

We  found  this  Wen-tchang-koun  larger  and  richer 
than  any  edifice  of  the  kind  that  we  had  ever  visited ; 
it  contained  several  halls  devoted  to  special  purposes, 
which  were  wainscoted  with  varnished  wood,  and  fur- , 
nished  in  the  ornamental  style  of  Chinese  luxury  -ind 
grandeur.  These  saloons  are  destined  for  literary  n^et- 


278          JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMI'IUK. 

ings,  as  well  as  for  banquets;  for  in  China  the  ad- 
mirers of  the  belles  lettres  by  no  means  disdain  gas- 
tronomic indulgences,  and  are  as  well  inclined  to  criti- 
cise a  good  dish  as  a  literary  composition.  When  the 
company  has  become  somewhat  elevated  with  poetry 
or  rice  wine,  they  are  invited  to  a  stroll  by  a  magnifi- 
cent garden ;  on  one  side  of  which  is  seen,  amo^ig  great 
trees,  a  pretty  pagoda,  erected  in  honor  of  Confucius, 
and  on  the  other  a  range  of  little  cells,  where,  during 
the  examinations,  students  are  shut  up,  to  write  on  the 
questions  assigned  them.  No  one  is  to  have  in  his  cell 
any  thing  more  than  an  inkstand,  some  of  the  little 
brushes  used  for  pens,  and  some  blank  paper ;  all  com- 
munication with  the  outer  world  is  interdicted  until 
they  have  finished  their  composition,  and  to  guard 
against  the  infraction  of  this  important  rule,  a  sentinel 
is  placed  at  the  door  of  each  student. 

An  octagonal  tower  with  four  floors  rises  in  the  mid- 
dle of  the  garden,  and  as  we  were  known  to  be  very 
fond  of  fresh  air,  they  were  so  kind  as  to  lodge  us  in 
the  uppermost  one,  whence  we  enjoyed  an  enchanting 
prospect  of  the  various  quarters  of  the  town,  with  its 
inclosure  of  embattled  walls ;  beyond  them  the  country, 
scattered  over  with  farms,  and  covered  with  rich  and 
varied  vegetation,  and  the  noble  Blue  River,  whose 
windings  we  could  trace  far.  through  the  plain,  till,  after 
hiding  itself  for  a  little  while  behind  green  hills,  it  re- 
appeared, and  then  finally  was  lost  to  sight  in  the  ho- 
rizon. 

As  soon  as  we  were  installed,  like  feudal  lords,  in 
our  donjon  keep,  the  literary  graduates  and  the  func- 
tionaries of  the  town  hastened  to  pay  us  a  visit.  We 
could  not,  however,  afford  more  than  a  few  hours  to  the 
demands  of  ceremony,  for  we  much  desired  repose.  The 
gentle  rocking  motion  of  the  boat  and  the  monotony  of 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          2?w 

the  languid  conversation  had  both  contributed  to  over- 
power us  with  sleep.  As  soon  as  possible,  therefore, 
we  told  our  servant  to  say  we  could  not  be  seen  any- 
more, locked  our  door,  and  lay  down  on  our  reed  mats. 

While  we  were  still  in  the  transition  state  between 
sleeping  and  waking,  we  heard  a  voice  riot  far  from  our 
door,  anjl,  listening,  could  distinguish  the  voice  of  our 
servant  quarreling,  as  it  seemed,  with  a  visitor  who 
•would  take  no  denial,  and  insisted  on  seeing  us,  whether 
we  would  or  not. 

The  visitor  was  alleging  his  title  of  doctor,  and  as- 
serting that  as  the  Wen-tchang-koun  was  the  property 
of  men  of  letters,  it  gave  him  the  right  of  visiting,  and 
even  scrutinizing,  those  who  had  taken  up  their  lodging 
in  it.  Wei-chan  resisted  courageously,  till  at  length  the 
other,  offended  at  an  opposition  so  lively  and  unexpect- 
ed, went  so  far  as  to  strike  him.  The  vociferation  now 
became  louder,  the  curious,  as  usual  in  such  cases,  came 
running  from  all  quarters,  and  it  was  evidently  neces- 
sary for  us  to  get  up,  and  give  a  lesson  in  the  "  Rites" 
to  this  impertinent  doctor. 

As  soon  as  the  door  was  opened,  it  was  easy  to  see 
how  the  matter  stood,  for  Wei-chan,  fairly  boiling  over 
with  anger,  seemed  ready  to  fly  at  the  doctor,  and  eat 
him  up.  He,  on  his  side,  was  so  occupied  with  his 
antagonist,  that  he  did  not  notice  us,  till  he  felt  himself 
seized  strongly  by  the  arm,  and,  turning  suddenly,  was 
petrified  at  rinding  himself  face  to  face  with  a  Western 
devil  in  a  yellow  cap.  We  dragged  him  into  our 
chamber,  where  he  was  summoned  to  give  an  account 
of  himself. 

"  Who  are  you  ?" 

"I  am  a  doctor  of  this  town." 

44  No !  you  are  not  a  doctor,  you  are  a  rude  and  igno- 
rant man.  What  do  you  want  ?" 


280          JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

«'  I  came  to  walk  in  the  Temple  of  Literary  Composi- 
tion, to  recreate  my  mind  and  iny  heart." 

"  Go  and  recreate  yourself  elsewhere,  and  don't  come 
here  disturbing  our  rest.  Take  yourself  quickly  out  of 
our  presence !  If  you  like  you  can  tell  your  friends  that 
you  have  seen  us,  and  that  we  drove  you  out  because 
you  understood  nothing  of  the  social  virtues." 

The  doctor  showed  some  symptoms  of  resistance. 
"But  who  then,"  cried  he,  "is  master  in  the  Wen- 
tchang-koun  ?" 

"  In  our  room  we  are  masters,  and,  consequently,  you 
must  get  out  as  fast  as  you  can ;  and  if  you  don't  go  by 
the  staircase,  we  will  throw  you  out  of  the  window. 
Will  you  go  ?" 

The  doctor,  doubtless,  thought  we  were  in  earnest  in 
this  threat,  for  he  disappeared  in  a  moment,  and  we 
heard  him  running  down  the  stairs  at  a  "great  rate. 
This  might  be,  perhaps,  a  good  opportunity  to  say  some- 
thing of  the  pedantry  and  arrogance  of  the  lettered  Chi- 
nese ;  but  we  shall  have  occasion  to  speak  on  the  sub- 
ject by  and  by. 

This  little  incident  had  quite  taken  away  our  inclina- 
tion to  sleep,  so,  after  the  doctor  had  departed,  we  came 
down  from  our  tower  to  explore  the  Temple  of  Literary 
Composition. 

We  were  crossing  the  garden  in  the  direction  of  the 
pagoda  of  Confucius,  when  we  perceived,  at  the  end  of 
a  long  corridor  that  led  to  the  street,  an  unfortunate 
man  on  his  knees,  and  loaded  with  a  great  cangue. 
The  cangue,  as  is  well  known,  is  an  enormous  block  of 
wood,  with  a  hole  in  the  middle,  through  which  the 
head  of  the  criminal  is  passed ;  it  presses  with  all  its 
weight  upon  his  shoulders,  so  that  this  atrocious  tor- 
ture makes  a  man,  as  it  were,  the  foot  of  a  huge  heavy 
table. 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          281 

We  walked  toward  him,  and  the  miserable  creature 
immediately  began  to  implore  our  mercy,  and  begged  us 
to  pardon  him. 

We  came  nearer,  and  were  greatly  affected  to  see  in 
this  horrible  situation  a  very  respectable-looking  man, 
with  an  honest  face,  who  was  shedding  tears  copiously, 
and  imploring  our  forgiveness.  It  was  a  heart-rending 
spectacle. 

We  came  nearer  to  read  the  sentence,  which,  accord- 
ing to  custom,  was  written  in  large  letters  on  strips  of 
white  paper,  pasted  on  the  cangue ;  and  scarcely  had 
our  eyes  glanced  over  the  inscription,  than  we  felt  a  cold 
perspiration  covering  our  foreheads.  This  is  what  we 
read  on  several  strips  of  paper : 

"  Condemned  to  fifteen  days  of  cangue,  the  nights 
not  excepted,  for  the  offense  of  disrespect  toward  the 
strangers  of  the  West,  who  are  under  the  protection  of 
the  Emperor.  Let  the  people  tremble,  reflect,  and  cor- 
rect their  faults!" 

On  each  of  the  three  strips  there  was  the  red  seal  of 
the  prefect  of  Fou-ki-hien. 

Fortunately  the  tribunal  was  only  a  feAV  yards  off; 
we  ran  thither,  and  obtained  a  short  interview  with  the 
prefect,  who  immediately  came  back  with  us,  to  set  the 
unfortunate  man  at  liberty.  But  before  taking  off  the 
cangue,  the  prefect  thought  proper  to  address  to  him  a 
long  speech,  first  on  the  merciful  nature  of  our  hearts, 
and  then  on  the  practice  of  the  three  social  relations. 
We  had  hardly  patience  to  listen  to  him,  and  there  were 
some  moments  when  we  really  should  have  been  glad  to 
see  the  untimely  speechifier  in  the  place  of  the  sufferer, 
whose  whole  crime,  it  appeared,  was  the  having  said  to 
one  of  the  guardians  of  the  temple,  "  Some  years  ago 
the  Western  devils  came  from  the  South,  but  now  they 
come  from  the  North  too."  The  poor  fellow  had,  it  is 


282         JOURNEY  THROUGH   THE  CHINESE   KMI'IKK. 

true,  applied  to  us  a  not  very  polite  nickname,  but  he 
was  not  the  inventor  of  it.  It  is  under  this  malignant 
denomination  the  Europeans  are  best  known  in  China ; 
and  if  all  those  who  use  it  were  to  be  put  in  the  canguc, 
the  whole  Empire  would  soon  find  its  way  there,  begin- 
ning with  the  Mandarins. 

As  soon  as  the  poor  man  had  been  released,  we  in- 
vited him  to  come  to  our  room,  and  served  him  with 
tea  and  a  little  collation,  explaining  to  him  as  well  as 
we  could,  how  grieved  we  were  to  have  been  the  invol- 
untary cause  of  his  deplorable  adventure.  Our  recon- 
ciliation was  already  complete,  when  an  old  man  with  a 
white  beard  and  two  very  young  men  were  introduced 
to  us ;  they  were  the  father  and  the  sons  of  the  person 
who  had  become  our  friend  in  so  singular  a  manner. 

They  threw  themselves  on  their  knees  to  express 
their  gratitude,  for  what  they  had  the  simplicity  to  call 
our  benefits.  They  burst  into  tears,  and  seemed  not  to 
know  what  to  say  to  express  their  feelings,  till  at  last 
we  really  could  not  bear  it  any  longer.  We  had  to  do 
indeed  with  Chinese,  whose  sincerity  may  always  be  a 
little  suspected;  but  it  is  a  horrible  thing  to  see  an  old 
man  sobbing  and  shedding  tears.  We  rose,  therefore, 
and  bid  farewell  to  these  good  people,  for  whom  our 
passage  through  their  country  had  been  the  occasion  of 
such  lively  and  painful  emotions. 

We  quitted  Fou-ki-hien  with  a  certain  feeling  of  re- 
gret; for  it  was  not  with  this  town  as  with  so  many 
others  which  left  us  no  profound  recollections,  and 
which  we  traversed  and  left  almost  with  the  same  in- 
difference as  our  temporary  encampments  in  the  desert. 
We  had  only  passed  half  a  day  at  Fou-ki-hien,  but  we 
had  felt  there  such  strong  and  varied  emotions,  that  it 
seemed  as  if  we  had  made  a  long  stay.  The  Temple  of 
Literary  Composition ;  that  tower  from  the  top  of  which 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          283 

we  commanded  a  view  of  the  town  and  country;  the 
rash  enterprise  of  the  intrepid  doctor;  the  unfortunate 
citizen  sinking  under  the  cangue,  his  deliverance,  the 
pathetic  visit  of  his  father  and  children — all  this  seem- 
ed to  make  an  epoch,  and  to  leave  behind  it  the  most 
_vivid  remembrance.  Time  is  a  profound  mystery,  and 
i  the  human  soul  alone  is  capable  of  estimating  its  dura- 
tion. To  live  long  is  to  think  and  feel  much. 

We  had  now  to  choose  between  the  route  by  water 
and  that  by  land,  for  the  course  of  the  Blue  Biver 
would  take  us  as  far  as  our  next  stage.  The  last  ex- 
periment had  succeeded  so  well,  that  we  had  a  mind  to 
try  it  a  second  time;  and  we  felt  sure  beforehand  of 
finding  the  people  of  our  escort  quite  of  our  opinion. 
In  a  boat  we  went  faster,  more  conveniently,  and  with 
much  less  expense ;  they  could,  therefore,  realize  enor- 
mous profits  which  they  divided  among  them,  though 
always  in  such  n,  manner  that  the  Mandarins  had  the 
greatest  part.  The  palanquin  bearers  also  found  their 
advantage  in  it;  for  after  having  passed  the  day  in 
playing  at  cards,  they  still  received  their  customary 
wages;  and  provided  the  navigation  was  not  danger- 
ous, and  that  they  would  give  us  a  good  boat,  we  on 
our  part  were  happy  to  be  able  to  procure  our  conduct- 
ors these  advantages. 

This  second  experiment  was  also  crowned  with  com- 
plete success,  and  quite  reconciled  us  to  the  Blue  River 
for  which  we  had  before  felt  so  great  an  antipathy.  We 
came,  from  time  to  time,  to  some  rather  difficult  places, 
reefs  of  rocks  on  a  level  with  the  water ;  but  the  skill 
and  experience  of  our  mariners  always  carried  us  past 
them  without  damage.  It  was  almost  night  when  we 
arrived  at  Ou-chan,  where  we  were  conducted  to  the 
communal  palace,  well  received  and  well  treated.  The 
evening  wore  on,  however,  and  we  had  not  yet  seen  any 


284          JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINKS)-    K.MI'IliK. 

of  the  authorities  of  the  place,  except  an  officer  of  very 
interior  rank,  who  held  an  appointment  at  the  port,  in 
the  Salt  Custom-house.  This  was  by  no  means  con- 
formable to  established  rule  ;  and  as  we  were  always  on 
our  guard  to  suffer  no  encroachment  on  the  privileges 
that  had  been  granted  to  us,  and  which  constituted  our 
strength  and  our  security,  we  begged  to  have  it  ex- 
plained why  we  were  deprived  of  the  honor  of  a  visit 
from  the  Mandarins  of  Ou-chan  ?  The  reply  was  that 
the  prefect  was  absent.  "And  his  deputy?"  "Absent 
too."  "And  the  military  commandant  of  the  district?" 
"  He  set  off  this  morning.  All  the  functionaries,  civil 
and  military,  are  absent  on  government  business."  We 
treated  this  as  a  bad  joke,  and  thought  we  should  have 
to  put  to  rights,  every  day,  a  machine  that  was  con- 
stantly threatening  to  get  out  of  order. 

We  ordered  our  palanquin,  and  invited  Master  Ting 
to  be  good  enough  to  accompany  us  immediately  to  the 
prefect's  tribunal.  He  made  no  objection,  and  we  set 
off.  The  tribunal  was  closed,  we  had  it  opened.  All 
the  lights  were  out,  we  had  them  kindled.  We  entered 
the  saloon  of  reception,  and  the  servants  of  the  prefect 
hastened  to  offer  us  tea ;  but  no  ball,  of  any  color  what- 
ever, was  to  be  seen.  At  last,  the  sse-ye  presented  him- 
self. These  sse-ye  are  counselors  or  pedagogues,  whom 
magistrates  choose  for  themselves,  to  aid  and  direct 
them  in  the  management  of  affairs ;  they  are  paid  by 
the  magistrate,  and  do  not  belong  officially  to  the  ad- 
ministration, but  their  influence  is  immense ;  they  arc 
in  fact  the  springs  that  set  the  wheels  of  the  tribunal  in 
motion.  The  sse-ye  of  Ou-chan  assured  us  that  the 
prefect  and  the  other  principal  functionaries  had  been 
absent  for  several  days,  engaged  in  the  investigation  of 
a  cause  of  the  highest  importance.  We  begged  his 
pardon  for  coming  to  disturb  him  at  so  late  an  hour; 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          285 

but  added,  that  having  to  see  the  prefect  we  would, 
since  he  was  absent,  await  his  return.  No  doubt  that 
would  in  some  measure  delay  our  arrival  at  Canton  ; 
but  that  this  would  be  of  no  great  consequence,  as  our 
business  allowed  of  a  certain  latitude  ;  and  thereupon 
we  returned  to  the  communal  palace. 

Master  Ting  had  heard  our  conversation  with  the 
sse-ye ;  and  he  needed  no  more  to  convince  him  that 
we  were  about  to  take  up  our  quarters  at  Ou-chan,  to 
await  the  return  of  the  prefect,  and  that  until  then  no- 
thing would  induce  us  to  move.  He  had  by  this  time 
become  a  little  accustomed  to  the  barbarism  of  our  char- 
acter arid  the  inflexibility  of  our  resolutions.  We  had 
hardly,  therefore,  returned  to  the  communal  palace  be- 
fore he  began  laughingly  to  warn  the  travelers  that 
they  might  sleep  in  peace,  for  that  it  was  our  intention 
to  fix  ourselves  definitively  at  Ou-chan. 

The  next  day,  when  the  sun  was  tolerably  high,  all 
the  inhabitants  of  the  palace  were  still  plunged  in  sleep ; 
the  most  profound  silence  reigned  all  over  it.  Nothing- 
was  to  be  heard  but  the  sound  of  a  torrent,  which,  be- 
hind the  house,  was  dashing  over  great  rocks  that  op- 
posed its  passage. 

This  tranquillity  rather  flattered  us,  for  it  showed  the 
attention  that  had  been  paid  to  what  we  had  said  the 
evening  before. 

Soon  after  noon,  however,  we  heard,  all  on  a  sudden, 
a  great  clamor  mingled  with  the  sound  of  the  tam-tams 
and  the  noisy  detonations  of  fire-works.  An  officer  of 
the  tribunal  now  came  to  inform  us,  that  the  prefect  had 
arrived  with  the  other  Mandarins  of  the  town.  We 
made  no  delay  in  receiving  his  visit,  and  he  presented 
himself,  accompanied  by  the  military  commandant  of 
the  district,  who  was  decorated  with  the  Blue  Ball,  and 
bore  the  title  of  tou-sse.  He  was  of  the  same  rank  as 


286          JOURNEY   THROUGH    THE   CHINESE   EMPIRE. 

.Ly,  the  "Pacificator  of  Kingdoms,"  who,  after  having 
long  served  us  for  an  escort  across  the  frightful  route  of 
Thibet,  died  so  miserably  without  ever  seeing  his  coun- 
try again. 

The  Chinese  have  so  elaborately  developed  their  sys- 
tem of  lying  and  deceit,  that  it  is  very  difficult  to  believe 
them,  even  when  they  do  speak  the  truth.  Thus  we 
were  persuaded  that  this  absence  and  return  of  the  pre- 
fect and  the  Mandarins  of  Ou-chan  was  only  a  trick, 
yet  we  were  nevertheless  mistaken ;  and  the  Chinese, 
extraordinary  as  it  may  seem,  had  not  told  a  lie.  As 
soon  as  we  saw  the  prefect  and  the  military  command- 
ant, it  was  easy  for  us  to  perceive  that  they  really  had 
just  come  from  a  journey;  the  exhaustion  evident  in 
their  faces,  the  dust  with  which  they  were  covered,  their 
disordered  garments,  all  announced  that  they  had  been 
passing  many  hours  in  their  palanquins. 

The  prefect  was  a  man  of  about  sixty  years  of  age, 
with  a  gray  beard,  a  short  thick-set  figure,  and  a  merely 
moderate  amount  of  embonpoint.  His  face  had  an  ex- 
pression of  simplicity  and  good-nature  extremely  rare 
in  Chinese  physiognomies,  and  especially  in  those  of 
the  Mandarins.  The  tou-sse  was  about  the  same  age, 
and  rather  above  the  middle  size,  though  a  little  bent ; 
his  countenance  also  was  very  open,  but  he  did  not 
belong  to  the  Chinese  race.  He  was  of  Mongol  origin, 
and  had  passed  his  youth  in  the  Land  of  Grass,  leading 
a  nomadic  life  in  the  deserts ;  several  of  the  countries 
he  had  wandered  over  were  perfectly  well  known  to  us. 
When  we  spoke  the  Mongol  language  to  him,  he  seemed 
quite  affected,  and  would  certainly  have  shed  some 
tears,  if  he  had  not  feared  to  compromise  his  character 
as  a  soldier.  These  two  personages  pleased  us ;  we  were 
VCI7  glad  we  had  waited  for  them,  and  they,  on  their 
,  seemed  very  well  satisfied  to  see  us,  which  we  be- 


JOURNEY   THROUGH   THE   CHINESE   EMPIRE.  287 

lieved  so  much  the  more,  because  they  did  not  endeavor 
to  express  it  by  any  of  the  emphatic  formulas  of  Chi- 
nese politeness.  We  read  it  on  their  faces ;  and  this 
method  afforded  us  a  far  more  satisfactory  proof  than 
the  other  would  have  done. 

The  prefect  of  Ou-chan  entered  into  some  details  con- 
cerning the  motives  of  his  absence.  He  had  gone  with 
his  assessors  to  a  village  under  his  jurisdiction,  to  in- 
quire into  the  case  of  a  man  found  dead  in  a  field,  and 
determine  whether  the  death  had  been  a  natural  one,  or 
the  result  of  a  murder  or  suicide.  We  addressed  sev- 
eral questions  to  hkn,  on  a  certain  method  employed  by 
Chinese  justice,  in  order  to  make  the  wounds  and  con- 
tusions of  a  dead  body  appear,  even  after  decomposition 
has  begun,  and  thus  to  ascertain  the  mode  of  death. 

We  had  heard  a  great  deal  of  the  measures  adopted 
by  magistrates  on  such  occasions,  and,  indeed,  some 
such  extraordinary  things,  that  we  were  very  glad  to 
get  some  information  about  them  from  an  authentic 
source. 

The  prefect  had  not  now  time  to  satisfy  our  curiosity 
on  all  points ;  but  he  promised  to  come  back  in  the 
evening,  and  bring  with  him  the  book  entitled  Sl-yuen  • 
that  is  to  say,  "  The  Washing  of  the  Pit ;"  a  work  on 
medical  jurisprudence,  very  celebrated  in  China,  and 
which  should  be  in  the  hands  of  all  magistrates.  The 
prefect  kept  his  word ;  and  the  evening  Avas  devoted  to 
a  rapid  examination  of  this  curious  book,  upon  which 
also  the  Mandarins  of  Ou-chan  did  not  fail  to  furnish 
many  commentaries,  as  well  as  to  relate  a  number  of 
anecdotes  that  we  will  not  repeat,  as  we  have  no  means 
of  testing  their  truth. 

In  all  times  the  Chinese  government  has  shown  great 
solicitude  for  the  discovery  of  homicide  and  the  examin- 
ation of  bodies  found  dead.  After  the  conflagration  and 


288          JOUHNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMl'IKE. 

destruction  of  the  libraries  by  the  famous  Tsing-che- 
hoang,  there  remained  no  work  on  medical  jurisprudence 
of  older  date  than  the  dynasty  of  Song,  which  began  in 
the  year  960  of  our  era. 

The  Mongol  dynasty  of  Yuen,  which  succeeded  that 
of  Song,  had  the  work  remodeled,  and  enlarged  it  with 
the  accounts  of  a  number  of  ancient  customs  that  tra- 
dition had  preserved  in  various  parts  of  the  Empire. 
After  the  dynasty  of  Yuen,  that  of  Ming  instituted  re- 
searches and  examinations  on  this  important  question, 
and  had  many  successive  works  published  for  the  in- 
struction of  magistrates.  The  Mantchou  dynasty  has 
published  a  new  edition  of  the  Si-yuen,  or  "Washing 
of  the  Pit."  To  dig  this  pit  a  dry  and,  if  possible, 
clayey  soil  must  be  chosen ;  the  pit  must  be  made  five 
or  six  feet  long,  three  wide,  and  as  many  deep ;  it  is 
then  to  be  filled  with  dry  branches  of  trees  and  brush- 
wood, and  a  fire  kept  up  in  it,  till  the  sides  and  the  bot- 
tom are  heated  almost  to  a  white  heat.  The  ashes  arc 
then  taken  out,  a  quantity  of  rice  wine  poured  in,  and 
the  dead  body  placed  over  the  opening,  on  a  hurdle 
made  of  osier  twigs ;  then  the  whole  is  covered  with 
tiles  placed  in  a  hollow  form,  so  as  to  leave  every  part 
of  the  body  free  to  be  acted  upon  by  the  vapor  of  the 
rice  wine.  Two  hours  afterward,  every  mark  of  a  wound 
or  a  blow  will  appear  quite  distinctly.  The  Si-yuen  de- 
clares that  the  same  operation  may  be  performed  with 
the  bones,  and  the  same  results  obtained ;  and  it  adds, 
that  if  the  blows  have  been  of  a  nature  to  cause  death, 
the  marks  will  always  appear  on  the  bones. 

The  Mandarins  of  Ou-chan  asserted  that  all  this  was 
perfectly  correct ;  but  we  have  ourselves  had  no  oppor- 
t  unity  of  verifying  their  assertion. 

It  is  the  duty  of  the  Mandarins  to  perform  this  opera- 
tion c\cry  time  that  there  arises  the  least  suspicion  con-1 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          289 

cerning  the  death  of  an  individual ;  they  are  even  obliged 
to  have  the  body  disinterred  if  it  has  been  buried,  and  to 
examine  it  carefully,  even  though  the  exhalations  from  it 
should  be  likely  to  endanger  their  lives  ;  "  for,"  says  the 
Si-yuen,  "  the  interest  of  society  requires  it,  and  it  is 
not  less  glorious  to  brave  the  danger  of  death,  to  defend 
one's  fellow-citizens  from  the  knife  of  the  assassin,  tha» 
from  the  sword  of  the  enemy.  He  who  has  no  courage, 
ought  not  to  be  a  magistrate,  and  should  resign  his  of- 
fice." 

The  Si-yuen  passes  in  review  all  imaginable  methods 
of  causing  death,  and  explains  the  mode  of  ascertaining 
them  by  examination  of  the  body. 

The  Chinese  appear  to  have  invented  a  terrific  va- 
riety of  modes  of  murder.  The  article  "  Strangling," 
especially,  is  very  rich ;  the  author  distinguishes  those 
"  Strangled  by  hanging,"  "  Strangled  on  the  knees," 
"  Strangled  lying  down,"  "  Strangled  with  a  slip  knot," 
and  "  Strangled  with  a  turning  knot."  He  describes 
carefully  all  the  marks  likely  to  appear  on  the  body, 
and  indicates  the  differences  where  the  individual  has 
strangled  himself.  On  the  subject  of  drowning  he  says, 
that  the  bodies  of  the  drowned  are  very  different  from 
those  thrown  into  the  water  after  death.  The  first  have 
the  abdomen  much  distended,  the  hair  sticking  to  the 
head,  foam  in  the  mouth,  the  hands  and  feet  stiff,  and 
the  sole  of  the  foot  extremely  white.  These  signs  are 
never  found  in  those  thrown  into  the  water  after  being 
suffocated,  poisoned,  or  killed  in  any  other  way.  As  it 
often  happens,  in  China,  that  a  murderer  endeavors  to 
conceal  his  crime  by  a  fire,  the  Si-yuen,  under  the 
chapter  of  the  "Burned,"  teaches  how  to  find  out,  by 
inspection  of  the  body,  whether  the  deceased  has  been' 
killed  before  the  fire  or  suffocated  by  it ;  among  other 
things  it  says,  that  in  the  first  case,  neither  ashes  nor 
VOL.  I.— N 


2UU         JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE   CHINESE   EMPIRE. 

vestiges  of  fire  are  found  in  the  mouth  and  nose,  while 
these  signs  are  always  found  in  the  latter. 

The  last  chapter  treats  of  the  various  kinds  of  poison, 
and  their  antidotes ;  but  however  skillful  and  vigilant 
magistrates  may  be,  it  may  easily  be  supposed  that  all 
these  practices  make  a  very  imperfect  substitute  for  the 
opening  of  the  body,  which  ancient  and  inveterate  pre- 
judices forbid  to  be  done  in  China. 

It  is  impossible  to  read  the  Si-yuen  without  being 
convinced  that  the  number  of  attempts  against  life  in 
this  country  is  very  considerable,  and  especially  that 
suicide  is  very  common.  The  extreme  readiness  with 
which  the  Chinese  are  induced  to  kill  themselves,  is 
almost  inconceivable ;  some  mere  trifle,  a  word  almost, 
is  sufficient  to  cause  them  to  hang  themselves,  or  throw 
themselves  to  the  bottom  of  a  well;  the  two  favorite 
modes  of  suicide.  In  other  countries,  if  a  man  wishes 
to  wreak  his  vengeance  on  an  enemy,  he  tries  to  kill 
him ;  in  China,  on  the  contrary,  he  kills  himself.  This 
anomaly  depends  upon  various  causes,  of  which  these 
are  the  principal :  In  the  first  place,  Chinese  law  throws 
the  responsibility  of  a  suicide  on  those  who  may  be  sup- 
posed to  be  the  cause  or  occasion  of  it.  It  follows, 
therefore,  that  if  you  wish  to  be  revenged  on  an  enemy, 
you  have  only  to  kill  yourself  to  be  sure  of  getting  him 
into  horrible  trouble;  for  he  falls  immediately  into  the 
hands  of  justice,  and  will  certainly  be  tortured  and 
ruined,  if  not  deprived  of  life.  The  family  of  the  sui- 
cide also  usualjy  obtains,  in  these  cases,  considerable 
damages ;  so  that  it  is  by  no  means  a  rare  case  for  an 
unfortunate  man  to  commit  suicide  in  the  house  of  a 
rich  one,  from  a  morbid  idea  of  family  affection.  In 
killing  his  enemy,  on  the  contrary,  the  murderer  exposes 
his  own  relatives  and  friends  to  injury,  disgraces  them, 
reduces  them  to  poverty,  and  deprives  himself  of  funeral 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          291 

honors,  a  great  point  for  a  Chinese,  and  concerning 
which  he  is  extremely  anxious.  It  is  to  "be  remarked 
also,  that  public  opinion,  so  far  from  disapproving  of 
suicide,  honors  and  glorifies  it.  The  conduct  of  a  man 
who  destroys  his  own  life,  to  avenge  himself  on  an 
enemy  whom  he  has  no  other  way  of  reaching,  is  re- 
garded as  heroic  and  magnanimous. 

Finally,  we  may  say  that  the  Chinese  dread  suffer- 
ing much  more  than  death.  They  will  sell  their  lives 
very  cheaply  if  they  can  hope  to  get  rid  of  them  in  an 
expeditious  manner ;  and  it  is,  perhaps,  this  considera- 
tion that  has  induced  Chinese  justice  to  render  the  trial 
of  a  criminal  almost  more  frightful  and  terrible  than 
death. 

China  is  the  country  of  contrasts  ;  all  that  you  see 
there  is  the  opposite  of  what  you  see  any  where  else. 
Among  barbarians,  and  even  in  civilized  countries  where 
true  notions  of  justice  have  not  sufficiently  purified  the 
public  conscience,  you  see  the  strong,  the  rich,  the  pow- 
erful, making  the  poor  and  weak  tremble,  oppressing 
them  and  sporting  with  their  lives  with  frightful  care- 
lessness ;  in  China,  it  is  often  the  weak  who  make  the 
strong  and  powerful  tremble,  by  holding  suspended 
over  their  heads  the  threat  of  suicide,  and  forcing  them 
by  that  means  to  do  them  justice,  spare  them,  and 
help  them.  The  poor  have  recourse  sometimes  to  this 
terrible  extremity,  to  avenge  themselves  for  the  hard- 
heartedness  of  the  rich,  and  it  is  by  no  means  unusual 
to  repel  an  insult  by  killing  yourself.  It  would  be  in- 
teresting to  compare  this  mode  of  dueling  a  la  Chi- 
noise,  with  that  which  is  in  use  among  European  nations ; 
there  might  be  traced  some  curious  analogies,  and  one 
would  be  forced  to  agree  that  there  is  pretty  much  the 
same  extravagance  and  absurdity  in  the  one  case  as  in 
the  other. 


292          JOUKNKY   THROUGH    THE   CHINKSK   KM1MKK. 

The  functionaries  of  Ou-chan  treated  us  with  remark- 
able affability,  and  our  talk  was  prolonged  far  into  the 
night ;  each  one  reported  concerning  the  manners  and 
customs  of  his  country ;  China,  Mongolia,  and  France 
asserted  their  respective  pretensions,  by  the  mouth  of 
their  representatives ;  and  it  was  at  last  agreed  that  all 
countries  have  a  fund  of  good  and  bad  qualities,  which 
pretty  well  balance  each  other ;  though  we  endeav- 
ored, nevertheless,  to  prove  that  Christian  nations  are, 
or  might  be,  more  virtuous  than  others,  since  they  were 
always  under  the  influence  of  a  holy  and  divine  religion, 
tending  essentially  to  develop  good  qualities  and  stifle 
bad  ones.  The  Mandarins  declared  our  reasoning  quite 
conclusive ;  and  asserted,  if  not  from  conviction  at  least 
from  courtesy,  that  France  occupied  incontestably  the 
first  rank  among  the  ten  thousand  kingdoms  of  the 
earth.  Their  good-will  toward  us  was  even  earned  so 
far  as  to  invite  us  seriously  and  sincerely  to  stop  an- 
other day  at  Ou-chan ;  the  temptation  was  great,  but 
we  resisted  it,  because  it  was  essential  to  preserve  for 
our  extraordinary  halts  the  peculiar  character  that  we 
had  endeavored  to  give  them.  Besides,  since  the  Man- 
darins of  Ou-chan  had  had  the  politeness  to  invite  us  to 
stop,  we  were  so  much  the  more  bound  to  have  the  po- 
liteness to  go.  Politeness  before  every  thing!  It  is 
quite  the  custom  in  China  to  give  the  most  pressing  in- 
vitations, but  only  on  condition  that  they  shall  be  re- 
fused ;  to  accept  them  would  be  to  show  that  you  had 
had  a  very  bad  education. 

During  the  time  when  we  were  at  our  Northern 
Mission,  we  were  witnesses  of  a  most  curious  fact, 
which  was  wonderfully  characteristic  of  the  Chinese.  It 
was  one  of_our  festival  days,  and  we  were  to  celebrate 
Ilic  Holy  Office  at  the  house  of  the  First  Catechist, 
where  there  was  a  tolerably  large  cluipd.  to  which  the 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          293 

Christians  of  the  neighboring  villages  were  in  the  habit 
of  coming  in  great  numbers.  After  the  ceremony  the 
master  of  the  house  posted  himself  in  the  middle  of 
the  court,  and  began  to  call  to  the  Christians  who  were 
leaving  the  chapel :  "  Don't  let  any  body  go  away. 
To-day  I  invite  every  one  to  eat  rice  in  my  house;"  and 
then  he  ran  from  one  group  to  another  urging  them  to 
stay.  Bat  every  one  alleged  some  reason  or  other,  for 
going,  and  went.  The  courteous  host  appeared  quite 
distressed ;  at  last  he  spied  a  cousin  of  his,  who  had 
almost  reached  the  door,  and  rushed  toward  him.  saying, 
"  What,  cousin !  are  you  going  too ?  Impossible!  this 
is  a  holiday,  and  you  really  must  stop/'  "  No,"  said  the 
other,  "do  not  press  me,  I  have  business  at  home  that  I 
must  attend  to."  "Business !  what,  to-day,  a  day  of  rest ! 
Absolutely  you  shall  stop,  I  won't  let  you  go;"  and  he 
seized  the  cousin's  robe  and  tried  to  bring  him  back  by 
main  force,  while  the  desired  guest  struggled  as  well  as 
he  could,  and  sought  to  prove  that  his  business  was 
too  pressing  to  allow  of  his  remaining.  "Well,"  said 
the  host  at  last,  "since  you  positively  can  not  stay  to  eat 
rice,  we  must  at  least  drink  a  few  glasses  of  wine  to- 
gether. I  should  be  quite  ashamed  if  my  cousin  went 
away  from  my  house  without  taking  any  thing. "  "  Well, " 
replied  the  cousin,  "  it  don't  take  much  time  to  drink  a 
glass  of  wine,"  and  he  turned  back ;  they  re-entered  the 
house  and  sat  down  in  the  company-room.  The  master 
then  called  in  a  loud  voice,  though  without  appearing 
to  address  any  one  in  particular:  "  Heat  some  Avine,  and 
fry  two  eggs !" 

In  the  mean  time,  till  the  hot  wine  and  fried  eggs 
should  arrive,  the  two  lighted  their  pipes  and  began  to 
gossip,  and  then  they  lit  and  smoked  again,  but  the 
wine  and  eggs  did  not  make  their  appearance. 

The  cousin,  who  most  likely  really  had  some  business, 


29-1          JOUHXKY   TIIIJiUCI!    TIIK   CHINESE   EMHIJK. 

at  last  ventured  to  inquire  of  his  hospitable  entertainer, 
how  long  he  thought  it  would  be  before  the  wine  was 
ready. 

"  Wine ! "  replied  the  host,  "  wine  ?  Have  we  got  any 
wine  here?  Don't  you  know  very  well  that  I  never 
drink  wine?  it  hurts  my  stomach." 

"  In  that  case,"  said  the  cousin,  "  surely  you  might 
have  let  me  go.  Why  did  you  press  me  to  stay  ?" 

Hereupon  the  master  of  the  mansion  rose,  and  as- 
sumed an  attitude  of  lofty  indignation. 

"  Upon  my  word,"  said  he,  k'  any  body  might  know 
what  country  you  come  from !  What !  I  have  the  po- 
liteness to  invite  you  to  drink  wine,  and  you  have  not 
even  the  politeness  to  refuse !  Where  in  the  world  have 
you  learned  your  rites  ?  Among  the  Mongols,  I  should 
think."  And  the  poor  cousin,  understanding  that  he 
had  been  guilty  of  a  terrible  solecism,  stammered  some 
words  of  apology,  and  filling  his  pipe  once  more,  de- 
parted. 

We  were  ourselves  present  at  this  delightful  little 
scene;  and  as  soon  as  the  cousin  was  gone,  the  least  we 
could  do  was  to  have  a  good  laugh ;  but  the  master  of 
the  house  did  not  laugh,  he  was  indignant.  He  asked 
us  whether  we  had  ever  seen  such  an  ignorant,  stupid, 
absurd  man  as  his  cousin,  and  he  returned  always  to 
his  grand  principle,  that  is  to  say,  that  a  well-bred  man 
Avill  always  render  politeness  for  politeness,  and  that  one 
ought  kindly  to  refuse  what  another  kindly  offers ;  "  other- 
wise," he  cried,  "  what  would  become  of  us  ?"  We  list- 
ened without  deciding  the  question  for  or  against  him  ; 
for  in  what  depends  upon  the  customs  of  nations,  it  is 
very  difficult  to  have  one  sure  and  certain  rule  applicable 
to  all ;  and  in  looking  closely  at  the  matter,  we  thought 
we  could  make  out  their  peculiar  views  of  politeness. 
Both  parties  by  this  means  obtain  at  small  cost  the 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          295 

satisfaction  of  appearing  generous  and  obliging  to  every 
body,  and  on  the  other  hand,  every  body  can  obtain  the 
satisfaction  of  knowing  that  he  receives  a  great  many 
kind  invitations,  and  yet  has  the  delicacy  to  refuse  them. 
Yet,  after  all,  it  must  be  owned  this  is  mere  Chinesery. 

The  pressing  solicitations  of  the  Mandarins  of  Ou-chan 
notwithstanding,  we  next  day  resumed  our  march,  like 
men  who  had  been  in  good  society,  and  studied  the  rites 
elsewhere  than  in  the  deserts  of  Mongolia.  This  day's 
journey  was  a  very  toilsome  one ;  first,  because  it  was 
two  days  since  we  had  been  in  a  palanquin,  and  our  legs 
had  lost  the  habit  of  bending  ;  and  secondly,  because  we 
had  to  traverse  a  mountainous  country.  Its  aspect  was 
not  at  all  pleasing,  but  wild  and  melancholy.  The  soil 
was  gravelly  and  sandy,  and  ill  adapted  to  cultivation ; 
we  saw  few  villages,  and  when  some  miserable-looking 
farm-houses  did  appear  here  and  there  in  the  bottom  of  a 
valley,  the  inhabitants  generally  ran  to  us  to  ask  for  a 
few  sapecks  by  way  of  alms. 

Toward  the  afternoon,  we  climbed  a  rather  steep  hill, 
Master  Ting  marching  at  the  head  of  the  column.  As 
soon  as  he  had  reached  the  summit,  he  got  out  of  his 
palanquin,  and  by  degrees,  as  the  others  arrived,  he 
made  them  stop  too.  We  did  not  comprehend  quite 
well  the  meaning  of  this  manoeuvre ;  but  when  we  too 
reached  the  top  of  the  hill,  Master  Ting  invited  us  to 
alight  from  our  palanquins,  saying,  "  Come  and  see ! 
Here  finishes  the  province  of  Sse-tchouen.  We  are 
about  to  enter  Hou-pe.  This  little  ditch  is -the  bound- 
ary of  the  two  provinces,  and  I  did  not  like  to  cross 
the  mountain  without  pointing  it  out  to  you.  "  See," 
he  added,  striding  with  one  leg  across  the  ditch,  "  now 
I  have  one  leg  in  Sse-tchouen,  and  another  in  Hou-pe:" 
and  he  stood  motionless  for  a  minute,  in  order  to  enable 
us  fully  to  conceive  this  astounding  fact. 


MM  JOUUXKY   THROUGH   TI1K   CJllMISK   JCMI'IKK. 

Several  palanquin  hearers,  who  seemed  to  think  it 
very  strange  to  have  one  leg  in  Sse-tchouen,  and  the 
other  in  llou-pe,  repeated  several  times  the  same  inter- 
esting experiment,  and  succeeded  just  as  well  as  the 
civil  Mandarin.  Then  after  we  had  rested  a  short  time, 
and  looked  eagerly  to  the  right  and  the  left,  the  way 
we  had  come  and  the  way  we  were  going,  we  set  oft* 
again,  and  arrived  shortly  afterward  at  Pa-toung. 

Sse-tchouen  (Four  Valleys)  is  the  largest  province  in 
China,  and  perhaps  also  the  finest.  So  at  least  it  ap- 
peared to  us,  after  having  compared  it  with  the  other 
parts  of  the  Empire  that  we  have  had  occasion  to  study 
in  our  various  journeys.  From  the  frontiers  of  Thibet 
to  the  boundaries  of  Hou-pe  are  reckoned  forty  days' 
inarch,  equivalent  nearly  to  an  extent  of  three  hundred 
leagues.  Besides  a  great  number  of  forts  and  war  sta- 
tions, there  arc  counted  in  this  province  nine  towns  of 
the  first  class,  and  a  hundred  r.rscl  fifteen  of  the  second 
and  third. 

Its  temperature  is  moderate,  both  in  winter  and  sum- 
mer, and  neither  the  long  and  terrible  frosts  of  the  north- 
ern nor  the  stifling  heats  of  the  southern  provinces  are 
ever  felt  in  it. 

Its  soil  is,  from  the  abundance  of  rivers  by  which  it 
is  watered,  extremely  fertile,  and  it  is  also  pleasantly 
varied.*  Vast  plains  covered  by  rich  harvests  of  wheat  and 
other  kinds  of  corn,  alternate  with  mountains  crowned 
with  forests,  magnificently  fertile  valleys,  lakes  abound- 
ing in  fish,  and  navigable  rivers.  The  Yang-tse-kiang, 
one  of  the  finest  rivers  in  the  world,  traverses  this  prov- 
ince from  southwest  to  northeast.  Its  fertility  is  such, 
that  it  is  said  the  produce  of  a  single  harvest  could  not 
be  consumed  in  it  in  ten  years.  Great  numbers  of  tex- 
tile and  tinctorial  plants  arc  cultivated  in  it  ;  among 
others  the  herbaceous  indigo,  which  gives  a  line  bine 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          297 

color,  and  a  kind  of  hemp  or  thistle,  from  which  ex- 
tremely fine  and  delicate  fabrics  are  produced.  On  the 
hills  are  fine  plantations  of  tea,  of  which  all  the  most 
exquisite  kinds  are  kept  for  the  epicures  of  the  province. 
The  coarsest  are  sent  off  to  the  people  of  Thibet  and 
Turkestan. 

It  is  to  Sse-tchouen  that  the  pharmacists  from  all  the 
provinces  of  the  Empire  send  their  travelers  to  lay. in 
their  stocks  of  medicinal  plants;  for,  besides  that  im- 
mense quantities  are  collected  in  the  mountains,  they 
have  the  reputation  of  possessing  more  efficacious  virtues 
than  those  found  in  other  countries.  A  considerable 
trade  is  also  carried  on  here  with  the  rhubarb  and  musk 
brought  from  Thibet. 

It  would  seem  as  if  the  richness  and  beauty  of  Sse- 
tchouen  had  exercised  a  great  influence  on  its  inhabit- 
ants ;  for  their  manners  are  much  superior  to  those  of 
the  Chinese  of  the  other  provinces.  The  great  towns  are, 
at  least  relatively,  clean  and  neat.  The  aspect  of  the 
villages,  and  even  of  the  farms,  bears  witness  to  the  com- 
fortable circumstances  of  their  inhabitants ;  and  through- 
out Sse-tchouen  you  hear  nothing  of  the  unintelligible 
patois  so  common  in  the  other  provinces — the  language 
is  nearly  as  pure  as  that  spoken  in  Pekin. 

The  Sse-tchouennese  are  of  a  robust  temperament  and 
a  more  masculine  physiognomy  than  that  of  the  Chinese 
of  the  south ;  though  at  the  same  time  not  so  harsh  as 
that  of  the  northerns.  They  have  the  character  of  being 
good  soldiers,  and  it  is  mostly  from  among  them  that 
the  greater  number  of  military  Mandarins  is  chosen. 
The  province  is  rather  proud  of  its  warlike  genius,  and 
of  having  given  birth  to  a  famous  general,  of  whom  they 
have  made  a  god  of  war.  This  Chinese  Mars  is  the  cele- 
brated Iiouang-ti,  whose  name  is  so  popular  throughout 
the  Celestial  Empire,  and  who  was  born  in  Sse-tchouen 


298          JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMI'UJK. 

in  the  third  century  of  our  era.  After  gaining  many 
splendid  victories  over  the  enemies  of  the  Empire,  he 
was  killed,  with  his  son  Kouang-ping,  who  has  been 
made  his  aide-de-camp. 

The  Chinese,  who  have  of  course  not  failed  to  fabricate 
a  number  of  extravagant  legends  concerning  him,  pre- 
tend that  he  did  not  really  die,  but  ascended  to  heaven, 
where  he  took  his  place  among  the  gods,  in  order  to  pre- 
•  side  over  the  fortunes  of  war.  The  Tartar  Mantchou 
dynasty,  in  ascending  the  Imperial  throne  of  China, 
performed  the  apotheosis  of  Kouang-ti,  and  solemnly 
proclaimed  him  tutelary  spirit  of  the  dynasty.  A  great 
number  of  temples  have  been  raised  to  him  in  all  the 
provinces  of  the  Empire,  where  he  is  usually  represented 
sitting  in  a  calm,  but  proud  attitude. 

His  son  Kouang-ping,  armed  cap-a-pie,  stands  at  his 
left  hand ;  and  on  his  right  hand  is  seen  his  faithful 
squire,  holding  a  large  sword,  knitting  a  pair  of  very 
thick  eyebrows,  opening  great,  round,  bloodshot  eyes, 
and  apparently  intent  on  nothing  but  frightening  all 
who  look  at  him. 

The  worship  of  Kouang-ti  belongs  to  the  official  state 
religion  of  China;  the  people  trouble  themselves  very 
little  about  it,  and  care  no  more  for  their  god  of  war 
than  for  any  of  the  other  Buddhist  divinities.  But  the 
public  functionaries,  and  especially  the  military  Man- 
darins, are  obliged,  on  certain  days,  to  go  and  prostrate 
themselves  in  his  temple,  and  burn  sticks  of  incense  in 
his  honor.  The  Mantchou  dynasty,  after  having  taken 
the  trouble  to  make  a  god  of  him,  appoint  him  to  be  the 
protector  of  the  Empire,  and  raise  magnificent  pagodas 
in  his  honor,  is  of  course  not  going  to  put  up  with  in- 
diilerencc  or  want  of  devotion  to  him  in  its  own  serv- 
ants. 

The  Mantchous,  who,  in  establishing  the  worship  of 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          299 

Kouang-ti,  probably  had  in  view  nothing  more  than  a 
political  object,  and  regarded  it  only  as  a  means  of  in- 
fluencing the  minds  of  the  soldiers,  have  not  neglected 
to  lend  their  authority  to  the  fable  of  his  appearance  in 
all  the  subsequent  wars  of  the  Empire.  At  various 
epochs,  especially  during  the  war  against  the  Eleuts, 
and  more  recently  against  the  rebels  of  Turkestan,  he 
has  been  plainly  seen,  hovering  in  the  air,  supporting 
the  courage  of  the  Imperial  armies,  and  overwhelming 
their  enemies  with  invisible  arrows.  It  is  certain,  they 
say,  that,  with  so  powerful  a  protection,  they  can  never 
fail  of  victory.  One  day,  when  a  military  Mandarin 
was  relating  to  us  with  great  naivete,  stories  of  the 
prowess  of  the  famous  Kouang-ti,  we  bethought  our- 
selves to  ask  him  whether  he  had  appeared  in  the  last 
Avar  that  the  Empire  was  engaged  in  with  the  English. 
This  question  seemed  to  vex  him  a  little,  and  after  a 
moment's  hesitation  he  said :  "  They  say  he  did  not,  no 
one  saw  him." 

"  It  was  a  very  serious  aifair  though,  and  his  presence 
was  by  no  means  unnecessary." 

"Don't  let  us  talk  any  more  of  that  war,"  said  the 
Mandarin  ;  "  Kouang-ti  certainly  did  not  appear,  and  it 
is  a  very  bad  sign.  They  say,"  he  added,  lowering  his 
voice,  "  that  this  dynasty  is  abandoned  by  Heaven,  and 
that  it  will  be  soon  overthrown." 

This  idea  that  the  Mantchou  dynasty  has  finished  its 
appointed  career,  and  that  another  will  shortly  succeed 
to  it,  was  very  widely  diffused  in  China  in  1846;  during 
our  journey  we  several  times  heard  it  mentioned,  and 
there  is  little  doubt  that  this  kind  of  vague  presentiment, 
prevailing  for  several  y^ears,  was  a  very  powerful  auxil- 
iary to  the  insurrection  that  broke  out  in  1851,  and 
since  then  has  made  such  gigantic  progress. 

The  wonder  of  Sse-tchouen,  and  one  that  deserves  to 


MO          .lol'UNEV   THROUGH    THE   CHINESE   EMPIRE. 

be  placed  even  before  the  famous  Kouang-ti,  is  what  the 
Chinese  call  the  Yen-tsiny  and  ho-tsing,  wells  of  salt 
and  wells  of  fire.  We  saw  a  great  number  of  them, 
but  without  having  time  to  examine  them  attentively 
enough  to  give  a  full  description  of  them,  and  we  will 
therefore  quote  on  this  subject  a  letter  of  M.  Imbert, 
long  a  missionary  in  this  province,  but  subsequently 
appointed  Vicar  Apostolic  in  Corea,  where  he  had  the 
honor  to  be  martyred  in  1838.  The  minute  details  con- 
tained in  this  letter  are  very  fit  to  give  an  exact  idea  of 
the  patient  and  laborious  industry  of  the  Chinese.  We 
will  therefore  give  the  passage  as  it  stands. 

"The  number  of  salt  wells  is  very  considerable ;  there 
are  some  dozens  of  them  in  a  tract  of  country  of  about 
ten  leagues  long  by  four  or  five  broad.  Every  one  here 
who  has  made  a  little  money,  looks  out  for  a  partner, 
and  begins  to  dig  one  or  more  wells.  Their  manner  of 
digging  is  not  like  ours  ;  these  people  do  every  thing  in 
miniature  ;  they  have  no  idea  of  carrying  on  any  opera- 
tion on  a  grand  scale,  but  with  time  and  patience  they 
attain  their  objects,  and  at  much  less  expense  than  we 
do.  They  have  not  the  art  of  opening  rocks  by  blast- 
ing, and  all  these  wells  arc  in  the  rock.  They  arc 
iisually  from  fifteen  to  eighteen  hundred  French  feet 
deep,  and  only  five  or  six  inches  in  diameter.  The 
mode  of  proceeding  is  this.  If  there  be  a  depth  of  three 
or  four  feet  of  soil  on  the  surface,  they  plant  in  this  a 
tube  of  hollow  wood  surmounted  by  a  stone,  in  which 
an  orifice  of  the  desired  size  of  four  or  five  inches  has 
been  cut.  Upon  this  they  bring  to  work  in  the  tube  a 
rammer  of  three  or  four  hundred  pounds  weight,  which 
is  notched,  and  made  a  little  coucave  above  and  convex 
below  ;  a  strong  man,  very  lightly  dressed,  then  mounts 
on  a  scaffolding,  and  dances  all  the  morning  on  a  kind 
of  lever,  thai  raises  this  rammer  about  two -feet,  and 


JOURNEY   THROUGH   THE   CHINESE   EMPIRE.  301 

then  lets  it  fall  ,by  its  own  weight.  From  time  to  time 
a  few  pails  of  water  are  thrown  into  the  hole,  to  soften 
the  material  of  the  rock,  and  reduce  it  to  pulp.  The 
rammer  is  suspended  to  a  rattan  cord,  not  thicker  than 
your  finger,  but  as  strong  as  our  ropes  of  catgut. 

"This  cord  is  fixed  to  the  lever,  and  a  triangular 
piece  of  wood  is  attached  to  it,  by  which  another  man 
sitting  near  gives  it  a  half-turn,  so  as  to  make  the  ram- 
mer fall  in  another  direction.  At  noon  this  man  mounts 
on  the  scaffold,  and  relieves  his  comrade  till  the  even- 
ing; and  at  night  these  two  are  replaced  by  another 
pair  of  workmen. 

"When  they  have  bored  three  inches  they  draw  up 
the  tube,  with  all  the  matter  it  is  loaded  with,  by  means 
of  a  great  cylinder,  which  serves  to  roll  the  cord  on.  In 
this  manner  these  little  wells  or  tubes  are  made  quite 
perpendicular,  and  as  polished  as  glass.  Sometimes  the 
ground  is 'not  rock  all  through,  but  beds  of  coal  and 
other  materials  are  found,  and  then  the  operation  be- 
comes more  difficult,  and  sometimes  even  entirely  use- 
less ;  for,  as  these  substances  do  not  all  offer  equal 
resistance,  it  may  happen  that  the  well  loses  its  perpen- 
dicularity; but  these  cases  are  rare.  Sometimes  the 
large  iron  ring  that  suspends  the  rammer  breaks,  and 
then  five  or  six  months'  labor  are  needed  before  it  is 
possible,  with  the  help  of  other  rammers,  to  break  up 
the  first  and  reduce  it  to  a  pulp.  When  the  rock  is 
good,  the  work  advances  at  the  rate  of  two  feet  in 
twenty-four  hours,  so  that  about  three  years  are  re- 
quired to  dig  a  well.  To  draw  water  from  it,  a  tube 
of  bamboo,  twenty-four  feet  long,  is  put  down,  at  the 
bottom  of  which  there  is  a  valve  or  sucker  ;  when  it 
has  reached  the  bottom,  a  strong  man  sits  on  the  rope, 
and  shakes  it,  so  that  every  shake  opens  the  sucker, 
and  makes  the  water  rise.  The  tube  being  full,  a  great 


:\trj>  JOU11NEY   THROUGH   THE   CHINESE   K.MI'IUK. 

spindle-shaped  cylinder  of  fifty  feet  in  circumference, 
upon  which  the  rope  is  wound,  is  worked  by  two,  three, 
or  four  buffaloes,  till  it  is  drawn  up.  This  rope  also  is 
made  of  rattan.  These  poor  buffaloes,  however,  are 
very  ill  suited  to  this  labor,  and  they  die  in  great  num- 
bers. If  the  Chinese  had  our  steam-engines,  they 
would  be  able  to  perform  the  work  at  less  cost,  but 
thousands  of  working  people  would  die  of  hunger. 

"  The  water  of  these  wells  is  very  salt ;  it  gives,  on 
evaporation,  one-fifth,  or  even  sometimes  one-fourth. 
The  salt  is  also  of  very  acrid  quality,  so  much  so  as 
often  to  inflame  the  throat  to  a  painful  degree ;  and  it  is 
then  necessary  to  make  use  of  sea-salt,  which  is  brought 
from  Canton  or  Tonquin. 

"  The  air  that  issues  from  these  wells  is  highly  in- 
flammable. If  when  the  tube  full  of  water  is  near  the 
top  you  were  to  present  a  torch  at  the  opening,  a  great 
flame  twenty  or  thirty  feet  in  height  would  be  kindled, 
which  would  burn  the  shed  with  the  rapidity  and  ex- 
plosion of  gunpowder.  This  does  happen  sometimes 
through  the  imprudence  of  workmen,  or  in  some  cases 
from  a  malicious  desire  to  commit  suicide  in  company. 
There  are  some  wells  from  which  fire  only,  and  no  salt, 
is  obtained ;  they  are  called  Jfo-tsiny,  fire  wells.  A 
little  tube  of  bamboo  closes  the  opening  of  the  well,  and 
conducts  the  inflammable  air  to  where  it  is  requii-ed  ;  it 
is  then  kindled  with  a  taper,  and  burns  continually. 
The  flame  is  of  a  bluish  color,  three  or  four  inches  high, 
and  one  inch  in  diameter.  Here  the  fire  is  not  suffi- 
cient to  boil  the  salt,  but  at  about  forty  leagues  off  there 
are  much  larger  fire  wells. 

"  To  evaporate  the  water,  and  prepare  the  salt,  they 
make  use  of  large  brass  tubs,  about  five  feet  in  diame- 
ter, and  only  four  inches  deep. 

"  The  Chinese  have  found  out  that,  in  presenting  a 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          303 

larger  surface  to  the  fire,  the  evaporation  goes  on  more 
quickly  and  the  fuel  is  economized.  This  tub,  or  cal- 
dron, is  surrounded  by  other  deeper  ones,  containing 
water,  which  boils  at  the  same  fire,  and  serves  to  feed 
the  large  tub,  so  that  the  salt,  when  evaporated,  com- 
pletely fills  the  tub,  and  takes  its  form.  The  block  of 
salt  weighs  two  hundred  pounds  and  upward,  and  is  as 
hard  as  stone ;  it  has  to  be  broken  into  three  or  four 
pieces  for  the  purposes  of  commerce. 

"  The  fire  is  so  strong,  that  the  caldron  becomes 
red  hot,  and  the  water  throws  up  great  bubbles  to  the 
height  of  eight  or  ten  inches.  When  the  fossil  fire 
from  the  wells  is  made  use  of,  the  ebullition  is  still 
more  violent,  and  the  caldron  is  calcined  in  a  short 
time,  although  those  employed  in  that  case  are  three  or 
four  inches  thick. 

"  For  all  these  salt  wells  great  quantities  of  coal  are 
consumed,  and  various  kinds  of  it  are  found  in  the 
country ;  but  the  thickness  of  these  beds  of  coal  varies 
from  only  one  inch  to  five.  The  subterranean  path 
leading  to  the  mine  is  so  steep,  that  bamboo  ladders  are 
placed  in  it.  The  coal  is  in  large  pieces.  The  greater 
part  of  these  mines  contain  much  of  the  inflammable 
air  of  which  I  have  spoken,  and  it  is  impossible  to  use 
lamps  in  them.  The  miners  either  grope  about  in  the 
dark,  or  make  a  kind  of  light  with  resin  and  saw-dust, 
which  bums  without  flame,  and  does  not  go  out.  When 
a  salt  well  has  been  dug  to  the  depth  of  a  thousand  feet, 
a  bituminous  oil  is  found  in  it,  that  burns  in  water. 
Sometimes  as  many  as  four  or  five  jars  of  a  hundred 
pounds  each  are  collected  in  a  day.  This  oil  is  very 
fetid,  but  it  is  made  use  of  to  light  the  sheds  in  which 
are  the  wells  and  caldrons  of  salt.  The  Mandarins, 
by  order  of  the  Prince,  sometimes  buy  thousands  of  jars 
of  it,  in  order  to  calcine  rocks  under  water,  that  render 


304          JOURNEY  TIIROUCMl   TIIK   CHINESE   EMl'IltE. 

the  navigation  perilous.  When  a  shipwreck  takes  place, 
the  people  make  a  kind  of  lamp  of  this  oil,  which  they 
throw  into  the  water  near  the  spot;  and  then  a  diver, 
and  oftener  still  a  thief,  goes  down  to  search  for  any 
article  of  value  that  he  can  carry  away,  the  subaqueous 
lamp  lighting  him  perfectly." 

"If  I  knew  a  little  more  of  physical  science,  I  could 
tell  you  what  this  inflammable  and  subterraneous  air  of 
which  I  have  spoken  really  is.  I  do  not  believe  that  it 
is  produced  by  a  subterranean  volcano,  because  it  needs 
to  be  kindled,  and  when  kindled  it  never  goes  out, 
unless  in  a  most  violent  gust  of  wind,  without  the  tube 
being  stopped  up  by  a  ball  of  clay.  Showmen  often  fill 
bladders  with  it,  and  carry  it  about  the  country ;  they 
make  a  hole  in  the  bladder  with  a  needle  and  kindle  it 
with  a  taper,  to  amuse  simpletons.  I  believe  that  it  is 
a  gas,  or  spirit  of  bitumen,  for  the  fire  is  very  fetid  and 
gives  out  a  thick  black  smoke."* 

"These  coal  mines  and  wells  of  salt  afford  occupa- 
tion to  large  masses  of  the  population,  and  there  are 
some  wealthy  persons  who  have  as  many  as  a  hundred 
wells  belonging  to  them;  but  these  colossal  fortunes 
are  soon  dissipated.  The  father  amasses,  and  the  chil- 
dren spend  all  in  gambling  or  debauchery. 

"On  the  6th  of  January,  1827,  I  arrived  at  Tse-liou- 
tsing  (that  is  'wells  flowing  of  themselves'),  after  a 
march  of  eighteen  leagues  made  in  my  thick  shoes  with 
iron  nails  an  inch  long,  on  account  of  the  mud  that  ren- 
ders the  roads  slippery. 

"This  little  Christian  community  only  contains  thirty 
communicants;   but  I  found  there   the   most  beautiful 
wonder  of  nature,  and  the  greatest  effort  of  human  in- 
dustry that  I  have  met  in  all  my  travels — a  subjugated 
V  volcano. 

*  Tliis  is  no  doubt  what  chemists  call  carbureted  hydrogen. 


JOURNEY   THROUGH  THE   CHINESE  EMPIRE.  305 

"The  place  is  in  the  mountains,  on  the  borders  of  a 
little  river.  It  contains,  like  Ou-tong-kiao,  salt  wells 
dug  in  the  same  manner,  that  is  to  say,  with  an  iron 
rammer  of  three  hundred  pounds  weight.  There  are 
more  than  a  thousand  of  these  wells  or  tubes  containing 
r-alt  water;  and,  besides  this,  every  well  contains  in- 
ilammable  air,  which  is  conducted  through  a  bamboo 
tube,  lit  with  a  taper,  and  can  not  be  put  out  without 
vigorous  blowing.  When  they  wish  to  get  the  salt 
water  they  extinguish  the  fire  tube,  for  otherwise  the 
inflammable  air,  coming  up  in  great  quantity  with  the 
water,  would  cause  an  explosion  in  the  mine.  In  one 
valley  there  are  four  wells  which  yield  fire  in  terrific 
quantities,  and  no  water;  that  is  doubtless  the  centre 
of  the  volcano.  These  wells  at  first  yielded  salt  water: 
and  the  water  having  dried  up,  about  twelve  years  ago 
another  well  was  dug  to  a  depth  of  three  thousand  feet 
and  more,  in  llic  expectation  of  finding  water  in  abund- 
ance. This  hope  was  vain,  but  suddenly  there  issued 
from  it  an  enormous  column  of  air,  filled  with  blackish 
particles.  I  saw  it  with  my  own  eyes.  It  does  not  re- 
semble smoke,  but  the  vapor  of  a  fiery  furnace,  and  it 
escapes  with  a  frightful  roaring  sound,  that  is  heard  far 
off.  It  blows  and  respires  continually,  but  never  in- 
spires; but  it  is  possible  that  its  inspirations  may  be 
made  in  some  lake,  perhaps  the  great  lake  of  Hou-kou- 
ang,  two  hundred  leagues  off.  There  is,  on  a  mountain 
about  a  league  off,  a  small  lake,  about  half  a  league  in 
circumference;  but  I  can  not  think  that  sufficient  to 
feed  the  volcano.  This  little  lake  has  no  communica- 
tion with  the  river,  and  is  only  fed  with  rain  water. 

"The  opening  of  the  well  is  surrounded  by  a  wall  of 
freestone,  six  or  seven  feet  high,  to  guard  against  the 
well  being  set  on  fire  by  accident  or  malice,  a  misfor- 
tune which  did  really  happen  last  August.  The  well 


300  JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

is  in  the  middle  of  an  immense  court,  with  large  sheds 
in  the  centre,  where  the  caldrons  are  placed  for  the 
boiling  of  the  salt ;  and  on  that  occasion,  as  soon  as  the 
iirc  touched  the  surface  of  the  well,  there  arose  a  terrific 
explosion,  and  a  shock  as  of  an  earthquake,  and  at  the 
same  moment  the  whole  surface  of  the  court  appeared  in 
i lames.  These  flames,  however,  though  about  two  feet 
high,  seemed  to  flutter  over  the  surface  of  the  ground 
without  burning  any  thing.  Four  men,  with  great  self- 
devotion,  went  and  rolled  an  enormous  stone  over  the 
surface  of  the  well,  but  it  was  thrown  up  again  imme- 
diately into  the  air.  Three  of  the  men  were  killed;  the 
fourth  escaped;  but  neither  water  nor  mud  would  ex- 
tinguish the  fire.  At  length,  after  fifteen  days'  labor, 
a  sufficient  quantity  of  water  was  collected  on  a  neigh- 
boring mountain,  to  form  a  large  lake  or  reservoir,  and 
this  was  let  loose  all  at  once  upon  the  fire,  by  which 
means  it  was  extinguished ;  but  at  a  cost  of  thirty  thou- 
sand francs,  a  large  sum  for  China. 

"At  the  depth  of  a  foot  below  the  ground,  four 
enormous  bamboo  tubes  are  fixed  in  the  four  sides  of 
the  Avell,  and  these  conduct  the  inflammable  air  beneath 
the  caldrons.  More  than  three  hundred  are  boiled  by 
the  fire  from  a  single  well,  each  of  them  being  furnished 
with  a  bamboo  tube,  or  fire  conductor.  On  the  top  of 
the  bamboo  tube  is  one  of  clay,  six  inches  long,  with  a 
hole  in  the  centre  six  inches  in  diameter ;  this  clay 
hinders  the  fire  from  burning  the  bamboo.  Other  tubes, 
earned  outside,  light  the  large  sheds  and  the  streets. 
There  is  such  a  supply  of  fire,  that  it  can  not  all  be 
used ;  and  the  excess  is  carried  by  a  tube,  outside  the 
inclosure  of  the  salt-works,  into  three  chimneys,  out  of 
the  tops  of  which  the  flame  leaps  to  a  height  of  two  feet. 

"The  surface  of  the  ground  within  the  court  is  ex- 
tn-mely  hot,  and  seems  to  burn  under  the  feet;  even  in 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          307- 

January  the  workmen  are  all  half-naked,  having  no- 
thing on  but  a  short  pair  of  drawers.  I  had,  like  other 
travelers,  the  curiosity  to  light  my  pipe  at  the  fire  of 
the  volcano,  and  found  it  extremely  active.  The 
caldrons  here  are  four  or  five  inches  thick,  and  they 
are  calcined  and  unfit  for  use  at  the  end  of  a  few 
months. 

"  The-  water  is  received  through  bamboo  tubes  into 
an  enormous  cistern ;  and  a  chain  pump,  worked  night 
and  day  by  four  men,  forces  it  into  an  upper  reservoir, 
whence  it  is  conducted  in  tubes  to  feed  the  caldrons. 
Four-and-twenty  hours'  evaporation  produces  a  cake  of 
salt  six  inches  thick,  and  as  hard  as  stone.  This  salt 
is  whiter  than  that  of  Ou-tong-kiao ,  and  affects  the  throat 
less ;  possibly  the  coal  employed  at  Ou-tong-kiao  may 
make  the  difference,  or  it  may  be  in  the  water  itself. 
The  latter  contains  a  greater  amount  of  salt  than  that 
of  Tse-liou-tsing  /  it  produces  three  or  even  four  ounces 
of  salt  for  every  pound  of  water ;  but  at  .Ou-tong-kiao 
the  coal  is  dear,  while  at  Tse-liou-tsing  the  fire  costs 
nothing.  These  two  districts  have  to  sell  their  salt  in 
different  towns,  and  custom-house  officers  see  that  this 
arrangement,  which  has  been  approved  by  the  govern- 
ment, is  not  disturbed. 

"  I  forgot  to  tell  you  that  this  fire  produces  scarcely 
any  smoke,  but  a  strong  bituminous  vapor  issues  from 
it,  which  I  could  perceive  at  two  leagues  off.  The 
flame  is  reddish,  like  that  of  coal ;  it  does  not  seem  to 
issue  directly  from  the  orifice  of  the  tube,  as  that  of  a 
lamp  might,  but  it  begins  about  two  inches  above  it, 
and  then  rises  about  two  feet.  In  the  winter  the  poor, 
to  warm  themselves,  dig  a  round  hole  of  a  foot  deep  in 
the  ground,  in  which  they  place  a  handful  of  straw  and 
set  light  to  it,  and  a  dozen  of  these  poor  creatures  will 
then  seat  themselves  round  it.  When  they  have  warm- 


;;us          JOL-KXKY  THROUGH  THE  CHINKSK  KMI'I  UK. 

cd  themselves  sufficiently  they  fill  up  the  hole  with  sand 
and  the  fire  is  put  out." 

From  this  account  we  may  form  some  idea  of  the 
character  of  Chinese  industry.  The  physical  sciences 
are  among  them  still  in  the  elementary  stage,  and  only 
cultivated  with  a  view  to  immediate  practical  applica- 
tion ;  but  the  Chinese  supply  in  some  measure  the  place 
of  knowledge  by  their  most  prodigious  patience.  It  is 
remarkable  that,  with  modes  of  proceeding  so  extremely 
simple  and  resources  so  limited,  they  are  able  to  obtain 
results  that  would  elsewhere  require  a  considerable 
amount  of  science.  Their  turn  of  mind  tends  always 
to  simplification ;  scientific  machinery  would  only  em- 
barrass them,  and  they  would  perhaps  not  succeed  so 
well ;  but  with  their  sagacity  and  perseverance  they 
contrive  to  effect  the  most  difficult  things.  They  take 


time  for  their  fulcrum  and  patience  for  their  lever ;  these 
are  ttie  two  great  principles  of  Chinese  physical  science. 
It  is,  nevertheless,  true  that  a  certain  amount  of  this 
kind  of  knowledge  has  existed  among  the  Chinese  from 
the  most  remote  antiquity,  and  has  descended  from 
generation  to  generation,  sometimes  in  the  form  of  a 
family  secret,  sometimes  disseminated  in  a  receipt  book. 
With  these  very  simple  aids,  they  attain  results  that 
with  us  are  only  the  fruits  of  science  and  study.  Thus 
the  Chinese  are  able  to  work  mines,  and  to  amalgamate 
metals  and  work  them  in  all  sorts  of  ways:  they  cast 
bells  and  statues  in  bronze  and  other  metals  ;  they  man- 
ufacture enormous  porcelain  vases ;  they  build  towers, 
and  construct  on  their  rivers  magnificent  and  remark- 
ably solid  bridges :  they  have  dug  a  fine  canal  from  one 
end  of  the  Empire  to  the  other.  At  two  different  epochs 
they  have  undertaken  gigantic  works  of  extreme  diffi- 
culty to  change  the  course  of  the  Yellow  River;  and 
they  know  how  to  produce  all  colors  and  combine  them 


JOURNEY  THROUGH   THE   CHINESE   EMPIRE.  309 

in  a  wonderful  manner.  We  might  pass  in  review  all 
the  products  of  their  arts  and  industry,  which  have 
often  a  great  deal  of  merit,  and  we  should  be  compelled 
to  acknowledge,  that  in  China,  as  elsewhere,  there  are 
chemists,  mathematicians,  and  natural  philosophers. 

Their  systems,  it  is  true,  arc  not  scientifically  arranged 
and  based  upon  fixed  general  principles.  The  Chinese 
would  be  unable  to  say  according  to  what  laws  they  ob- 
tain certain  chemical  combinations ;  they  would  content 
themselves  with  showing  you  some  old  receipt,  which, 
as  experience  has  taught  them,  will  attain  the  end  in 
view.  Their  miners  could  not  assuredly  explain  in  a 
satisfactory  manner  why  that  combination  of  saw-dust 
and  resin  which  they  make  use  of  for  a  light  will  not 
kindle  the  gas  in  the  mines,  and  produce  an  explosion ; 
but  assuredly  it  answers  for  them  the  purpose  of  Davy's 
celebrated  safety-lamp. 

Although,  however,  scientific  results  may  thus  be  ob- 
tained by  them  without  science,  yet  the  knowledge  of  the 
Chinese  must  always  remain  scattered  and  desultory.  It 
is  very  difficult  for  them  to  make  any  progress,  or  indeed 
to  avoid  retrograding  from  the  point  already  attained. 
Their  decay  in  many  departments  has  begun  years  ago, 
and  they  acknowledge  that  they  could  not  now  do  many 
things  that  were  easy  to  them  in  times  past.  The  natural 
sciences  have  no  part  whatever  in  their  system  of  in- 
struction, and  since  the  knoAvledge  slowly  gathered  from 
experience  during  a  long  course  of  ages  has  no  other 
guardians,  for  the  most  pa^,  than  ignorant  workmen, 
many  very  useful  and  important  ideas  are  unavoidably 
lost.  A  more  intimate  relation  with  Europe  can  alone 
preserve  from  perishing  many  of  these  precious  germs, 
which  may  one  clay  develop  themselves  under  the  in- 
fluence of  modern  science. 

Sse-trhouen,  the  most  remarkable,  in  our  opinion,  of 


310          JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

the  eighteen  provinces  of  China,  is  also  that  in  which 
Christianity  is  the  most  flourishing.  It  counts  nearly  a 
hundred  thousand  Christians,  mostly  zealous  and  faith- 
ful in  the  fulfillment  of  their  duties  ;  their  numbers  also 
are  obviously  on  the  increase  from  year  to  year. 

The  prosperity  of  this  mission  arises  from  its  never 
\  having  been  entirely  abandoned  like  many  others.  At 
the  period  even  of  our  most  disastrous  revolutions,  while 
France  herself,  without  priests  and  without  a  worship, 
could  hardly  be  supposed  to  occupy  herself  with  the 
religious  interests  of  China,  the  Christians  of  Sse-tchouen 
still  had  the  happiness  of  retaining  in  the  midst  of 
them  apostles  full  of  zeal  and  fervor,  who  watched 
with  care  over  the  precious  sparks  of  faith,  while  wait- 
ing till  better  times  should  permit  new  missionaries  to 
come  and  revive  the  sacred  fire  of  religion  in  those 
countries.  The.  province  of  Sse-tchouen  has  now  been 
intrusted  to  the  care  of  the  Society  of  Foreign  Mis- 
sions, which  is  gathering  the  fruits  of  its  zeal  and  per- 
severance. 

The  Christian  community  of  Sse-tchouen,  besides  be- 
ing the  most  numerous  in  China,  presents  also  some 
peculiar  features.  Every  where  else*  the  neophytes, 
in  town  and  country,  have  been  mostly  recruited  from 
among  the  most  indigent  classes ;  but  it  has  not  been 
thus  in  Sse-tchouen ;  for,  although  the  propagation  of 
the  faith  has  not  yet  reached  the  summit  of  society, 
the  greater  number  of  Christians  are  found  in  its  mid- 
dle ranks. 

Of  course,  in  a  religious  point  of  view,  the  poor  are  at 
least  of  as  much  consequence  as  the  rich,  and  we  must 
not  forget  that  shepherds  came  before  kings  to  adore  the 
Saviour  of  the  world  in  his  manger ;  but  it  happens  that 
many  of  the  Chinese  are  simple  enougli  to  believe  that 

*  The  province  of  Kiang-nan  must  he  excepted. 


JOL'RNEi"   THROUGH   THE   CHINESE  EMPIRE.          311 

a  certain  sum  is  always  given  to  catechumens  on  the 
day  of  their  baptism,  and  that  people  thus  become  Chris- 
tians from  motives  of  worldly  interest.  It  is  advanta- 
geous, therefore,  to  do  away  with  this  idea,  and  let  them 
see  that  Christianity  is  professed  by  people  in  easy  cir- 
cumstances, who  have  no  need  of  alms.  It  is  also  well 
that  the  missions  should  be  self-supporting,  and  be  able 
to  found  schools  and  build  chapels  for  themselves. 

Sometimes,  it  is  true,  the  prosperity  of  the  missions 
has  this  disadvantage,  that  it  tends  to  excite  the  cu- 
pidity of  the  Mandarins,  who  are  willing  enough  to  let 
the  poor  alone,  but  keep  up  a  most  watchful  superin- 
tendence over  those  houses  where  there  is  any  thing 
to  take.  On  the  whole,  however,  the  balance  of  ad- 
vantage may  be  said  to  be  on  the  side  of  prosperity  in 
the  missions. 

The  families  may,  by  uniting  their  strength,  obtain 
a  certain  amount  of  influence,  intimidate  the  satellites, 
and  compel  the  Mandarins  to  spare  them ;  for  in  China, 
in  order  to  make  yourself  respected,  it  is  sufficient  to  take 
a  formidable  attitude.  In  traversing  the  province  of 
Sse-tchouen,  we  remarked  that  the  Christians  appeared 
to  enjoy  a  greater  amount  of  liberty  than  elsewhere; 
or  at  least  make  greater  efforts  to  assert  their  claim  to 
what  has  been  granted  them.  They  venture  to  assemble 
and  proclaim  publicly  that  they  are  Christians.  One  day 
we  saw  a  number  of  them  in  their  Sunday  clothes,  walk- 
ing in  procession  with  a  banner  at  their  head,  to  the 
celebration  of  a  festival  in  a  neighboring  village;  and 
it  was  Ting  himself  who  pointed  out  the  fact  to  our  ob- 
servation. 

We  are  persuaded  that  if  all  the  Christians  of  China 
stood  on  the  same  footing  as  those  of  Sse-tchouen,  it 
would  not  be  so  easy  as  it  has  been  to  subject  them  to 
persecution. 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

Arrival  at  Pa-toung,  a  Frontier  Town  of  Hou-pe' — Literary  Examina- 
tions— Character  of  the  Chinese  Bachelor — Condition  of  Writers — 
Written  Language — Spoken  Language — Glance  at  Chinese  Litera- 
ture— The  Celestial  Empire  an  immense  Library — Study  of  Chinese 
in  Europe — Embarkation  on  the  Blue  Kiver — Salt  Custom-house — 
Smuggling  Mandarin — Dispute  with  the  Prefect  of  I-tchang-fou — A 
Mandarin  wishes  to  put  us  in  Chains — System  of  Customs  in  China — 
I-tou-hien,  a  Town  of  the  third  Class — Amiable  and  interesting 
Magistrate  of  that  Town — Geographical  Knowledge  of  the  Chinese — 
Narrative  of  an  Arab  who  traveled  in  China  in  the  ninth  Century 
before  the  Christian  Era. 

AFTER  leaving  Sse-tchoucn  "behind  us,  a  few  hours' 
march  brought  us  to  Pa-touny,  a  little  town  of  Hou-pe. 
Although  we  were  now  no  longer  in  the  country  subject 
to  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Viceroy  Pao-hing,  we  were  re- 
ceived as  we  had  been  in  all  the  towns  of  Sse-tchouen ; 
for  the  orders  that  had  been  given  respecting  us  Avere  to 
remain  in  force  till  we  should  arrive  at  Ou-tehang-fou, 
the  capital  of  Hou-pe.  The  authorities  of  Pa-toung 
treated  us  there  with  the  accustomed  ceremony ;  but 
scarcely  had  we  reached  it  before  AVC  noticed  the  most 
complete  and  extraordinary  change  in  the  tone  and  man- 
ner of  the  people  of  our  escort.  Mandarins,  satellites, 
and  soldiers — all  appeared  metamorphosed  with  that  elas- 
tic suppleness  which  is  the  most  striking  feature  in  the 
Chinese  character.  They  had  all  at  once  become  peace- 
able and  modest  to  a  degree  that  was  really  admirable. 
The  reason  of  this  was,  that  they  had  now  entered  what 
they  regarded  in  some  measure  as  a  foreign  country, 
and  they  had  loft  all  their  domineering  pride  on  the 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          313 

frontiers  of  their  own  province,  of  course  with  the  full 
intention  of  resuming  it  when  they  went  back.  For  the 
present,  however,  their  business  was  to  avoid  compro- 
mising themselves,  and  "draw  in  their  hearts"  so  as  to 
continue  their  journey  in  safety. 

The  Viceroy  of  Sse-tchouen  had  warned  us  that,  in 
the  province  of  Hou-pe,  the  communal  palaces  were  few 
in  number,  and  not  convenient  for  us.  At  Pa-toung 
we  found  none  at  all,  but  we  lost  little  by  that,  for  we 
went  to  lodge  in  the  Kao-pan,  that  is  to  say,  "  the  In- 
stitution." The  Kao-pan,  or  theatre  of  examinations, 
is,  like  the  wcn-tchang-koun,  a  palace  of  literary  compo- 
sition, an  edifice  belonging  to  the  learned  corporation. 
That  of  Pa-toung  had  nothing  remarkable  in  its  con- 
struction, but  as  it  was  exquisitely  clean  and  had  vast 
apartments,  it  was  fresh  and  cool.  The  examinations 
had  taken  place  only  a  few  days  before,  and  we  found 
the  various  decorations  still  arranged  as  for  the  cere- 
mony. In  the  evening  we  had  visits  from  a  crowd  of 
the  literary  personages,  among  whom  were  several  who 
We  must  own  appeared  to  us  exceedingly  stupid. 

This  literary  corporation  was  organized  as  early  as 
the  eleventh  century  before  the  Christian  era,  but  the 
system  of  examinations  existing  at  present  does  not 
date  farther  back  than  the  eighth  century  before  the 
commencement  of  the  great  dynasty  of  Tang.  Before 
this  epoch  the  magistrates  were  elected  by  the  people ; 
but  at  present,  as  we  have  said,  umversal_suftrage  has 
been  preserved  only  in  the  communes,  in  the  election 
of  the  mayors,  who  bear  the  name  of  ti-pao  in  the  south, 
and  of  sian-yo  in  the  north  of  the  Empire. 

The  literary  examinations  are,  like  every  thing  else, , 
degenerating   and    sinking  to    decay.      They  have   no* 
longer  the  grave,  earnest,  impartial  character  that  was 
doubtless  impressed  on  them  at  the  time  of  their  in- 
VOL.  I.—O 


;,H          JOURNEY   THROUGH   THE   CHINESE    EMPIRE. 

stitution.  The  corruption  which  has  spread  through 
every  thing  without  exception  in  China  has  also  found 
its  way  among  both  examiners  and  examined.  The 
rules  that  ought  to  be  observed  in  the  examinations  are 
extremely  stringent,  with  a  view  to  prevent  any  kind 
of  fraud,  and  discover  the  true  merit  of  the  candidate ; 
but,  by  certain  financial  methods,  a  way  has  been  found 
to  neutralize  the  effect  of  these  precautions.  A  rich 
man  can  always  find  out  beforehand  the  subjects  pro- 
posed for  the  various  compositions  ;  and,  what  is  worse, 
even  the  suffrages  of  the  judges  are  sold  to  the  highest 
bidder. 

A  student  who  knows  he  is  not  capable  of  going 
through  the  examination,  or  who  has  not  been  able  to 
procure  the  programme  of  the  questions,  coolly  goes 
with  a  certain  sum  in  his  hand  to  some  poor  graduate 
who  has  the  requisite  ability,  and  who  merely  takes  the 
name  of  the  candidate  for  honors,  assumes  his  place, 
and  brings  him  back  the  diploma.  It  is  a  regular 
branch  of  industry,  which  is  carried  on  almost  publicly 
in  China ;  and  the  Chinese,  in  their  picturesque  lan- 
guage, have  given  to  the  gentlemen  who  have  obtained 
their  degree  in  this  fashion,  the  name  of  crupper  bach- 
elors. 

^Tlie  number  of  bachelors  is  very  considerable ;  but, 
for  want  of  resources,  pecuniary  as  well  as  intellectual, 
there  are  very  few  who  attain  to  the  higher  degrees 
which  fit  them  for  public  offices.  Those  who  are  in 
easy  circumstances,  however,  may  at  least  enjoy  the 
incomparable  happiness  of  wearing  a  gilt  ball  in  their 
caps.  They  are  fond  of  public  ceremonials,  parades, 
and  assemblies,  at  which  they  may  display  their  pre- 
tensions. Sometimes,  too,  they  occupy  their  leisure 
with  literature,  and  compose  novels,  or  pieces  of  poetry, 
which  they  read  to  their  colleagues,  and  receive  plenty 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.  315 

of  compliments,  of  course  on  conditions  of  reciprocity. 
Poor  literary  graduates,  who  hold  no  public  office,  form 
in  the  Empire  a  class  apart,  and  lead  a  kind  of  life  that 
it  is  difficult  to  describe.  Heal  laborious  work  is  not 
at  all  accordant  to  their  tastes  and  habits.  To  occu- 
py themselves  with  industry,  commerce,  or  agriculture, 
would  be  much  beneath  their  dignity.  Those  who  wish 
in  earnest  to  gain  a  livelihood  become  schoolmasters  or 
doctors,  or  endeavor  to  fill  some  subaltern  office  in  the 
tribunals  ;  others  become  mere  adventurers,  and  live  on 
the  public  in  various  ways.  Those  who  live  in  the 
large  towns  have  very  much  the  aspect  of  ruined  gen- 
tlemen, and  they  have  little  other  resource  than  to  visit 
and  bore  each  other  at  their  common  expense,  or  ar- 
range plans  to  avoid  dying  of  hunger.  Very  often  J;hey 
contrive  to  extort  money  from  the  rich  and  the  Manda- 
rins, who  having  always  plenty  of  administrative  sins 
upon  their  consciences,  do  not  care  to  have  for  enemies  \ 
a  set  of  idle,  hungry  bachelors,  always  ready  to  weave  " 
some  intrigue  or  lay  a  trap  for  the  man  in  office.  Law- 
suits are  also  a  grand  resource  for  this  useful  class  of 
society.  They  apply  themselves  assiduously  to  foment- 
ing quarrels,  and  embittering  the  parties  against  each 
other;  and  then  they  undertake  for  a  certain  little  rea- 
sonable consideration  to  appease  and  reconcile  them,  or, 
as  they  say  in  their  language,  to  give  them  some  com- 
mentaries on  law.  Those  whose  imaginations  are  not 
sufficiently  lively  and  fertile  to  suggest  all  these  modes 
of  industry,  endeavor  to  live  by  their  pens,  which  they 
manage  with  admirable  skill.  They  drive  a  little  trade 
in  sentences  finely  written  on  strips  of  colored  paper, 
such  as  the  Chinese  consume  in  large  quantities  for  the 
decoration  of  their  doors  and  the  interior  of  their  apart- 
ments. It  is  almost  superfluous  to  add,  that  these 
literary  geniuses,  "  i.ncompris1'1  of  the  Celestial  Empire, 


31G          JOUKNKY    TIIKOrGH  THE  CHINESE  KMPIKK. 

arc  also  the  agents  of  secret  societies,  and  the  agitators 
in  times  of  revolution.  The  proclamation,  the  placard, 
and  the  pamphlet,  arc  weapons  that  they  know  how  to 
manage  just  as  well  as  their  brethren  of  the  West. 

Although  literature  is  in  China  very  much  encour- 
aged by  the  government,  and  by  public  opinion,  this 
encouragement  does  not  proceed  so  far  as  to  afford  an 
income  to  its  professors.  Nobody  here  makes  a  fortune 
^>y  writing  books ;  more  especially  such  boolcs~as"novels7 
romances,  and  poetry  or  dramatic  pieces.  However 
good  these  may  be,  very  little  value  is  attached  to 
them.  Those  who  arc  capable  of  appreciating  them 
read  them  of  course,  but  merely  as  an  amusement.  No 
one  thinks  of  the  author,  who  indeed  on  his  side  never 
dreams  of  putting  his  name  to  his  productions.  People 
in  China  read  very  much  as  they  take  a  walk  in  a  gar- 
den, for  the  sake  of  a  momentary  recreation ;  they  ad- 
mire the  trees,  the  A^erdure,  the  splendor  and  variety  of 
the  flowers,  but  all  this  without  ever  thinking  of  the 
gardener,  much  less  asking  his  name. 

The  Chinese  are  full  of  veneration  for  "sacred  and 
classical  books,"  and  their  esteem  for  great  works  on 
history  and  morals  is  in  some  measure  a  religion  with 
them,  the  only  one  perhaps  that  they  profess  seriously ; 
for  they  are  accustomed  to  consider  literature  from  the 
point  of  view  of  serious  utility.  The  class  whom  we 
call  authors  are  in  their  eyes  only  idle  persons  who  pass 
their  time  in  amusing  themselves  by  making  prose  or 
verse.  They  have  no  objection  to  such  a  pursuit.  A  man 
may,  they  say,  "  amuse  himself  with  his  pen  as  with  his 
kite,  if  he  likes  it  as  well — it  is  all  a  matter  of  taste." 

The  inhabitants  of  the  Celestial  Empire  would  never 
recover  from  their  astonishment  if  they  knew  to  what 
extent  a  work  of  this  kind  may  be  in  Europe  a  source 
of  honor  and  often  of  wealth.  If  they  wnv  told  that 


JOL'UNEY   TIIKOUGH   THE   CHINESE  EMPIRE.  317 

any  one  may  obtain  great  glory  among  us  by  composing 
a  drama  or  a  romance,  they  would  either  not  believe  it, 
or  set  it  down  as  an  additional  proof  of  our  well  known 
want  of  common-sense.  How  would  it  be  if  they  should 
be  told  of  the  renown  of  a  dancer  or  a  violin  player,  and 
that  one  can  not  make  a  bound,  or  the  other  draw  a 
bow  any  where,  without  thousands  of  newspapers  hast- 
ening to  spread  the  important  news  over  all  the  king- 
doms of  Europe ! 

The  Chinese  are  too  decided  utilitarians  to  enter  into 
our  views  of  the  arts.  In  their  opinion  a  man  is  only 
worthy  of  the  admiration  of  his  fellow-creatures  when 
he  has  well  fulfilled  the  social  duties,  and  especially  if 
he  knows  better  than  any  one  else  how  to  get  out  of  a 
scrape. 

You  are  regarded  as  a  man  of  genius  if  you  know 
how  to  regulate  your  family,  make  your  lands  fruitful, 
traffic  with  ability,  and  realize  great  profits.  This  at 
least  is  the  only  kind  of  genius  that  is  of  any  value  in 
the  eyes  of  these  eminently  practical  men. 

In  a  preceding  chapter  we  endeavored  to  give  an  idea 
of  the  system  of  instruction  adopted  in  China ;  and  since 
we  are  now  at  the  Kao-pan  it  will  be  a  good  opportunity 
for  completing  the  survey,  by  casting  a  glance  over  the 
Chinese  language  and  literature,  concerning  which  many 
very  inaccurate  ideas  prevail. 

"A  curious  and  frequent  contrast,"  says  M.  Abel 
Remusat,  "  is  presented  by  the  lively  curiosity  with 
which  we  inquire  into  all  that  relates  to  the  manners, 
the  character,  and  the  creed  of  Oriental  nations,  and  the 
profound  indifference  with  which  the  Asiatics  regard 
our  intellectual  progress,  or  institutions,  and  even  the 
master-pieces  of  our  industry.  It  seems  that  we  have 
always  need  of  others,  and  that  the  Asiatics  alone 
suffice  to  themselves.  The  European?,  so  disdainful, 


318          JOURNEY  THROUGH   THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

so  proud  of  the  progress  they  have  made  in  the  arts 
and  sciences,  during  these  three  hundred  years,  are  con- 
tinually asking  what  is  thought  and  felt  by  men  whom 
they  regard  as  so  far  inferior  to  them  in  every  respect. 
The  Asiatics  care  nothing  about  what  the  Europeans 
think ;  whether  they  think  at  all,  or  whether  they  exist 
at  all.  In  Paris  and  in  London  there  are  many  people 
studying  Oriental  literature ;  at  Teheran  or  Pekin  no- 
body knows  whether  the  West  has  a  literature  or  not. 
The  Asiatics  do  not  dream  of  contesting  our  intellectual 
superiority;  they  simply  ignore  it,  and  never  trouble 
themselves  about  it,  which  is  incomparably  more  morti- 
fying for  men  so  much  inclined  to  value  themselves 
upon  it  as  we  are." 

In  Europe,  in  France  and  England  especially,  a  live- 
ly interest  has  been  felt  now  for  some  years  in  all  that 
passes  in  the  Celestial  Empire.  All  that  comes  from 
this  country  excites  curiosity ;  and  we  are  determined 
to  make  acquaintance  with  the  eccentric  nation,  which 
is  so  bent  on  living  by  itself  in  the  world. 

Now,  it  seems  to  us,  that  the  primary  cause  of  the 
eccentric  character  of  this  people  is  to  be  found  in  the 
extraordinary  character  of  their  language.  It  is  most 
emphatically  time  of  the  Chinese  that  the  literature  is 
the  expression  of  society. 

That  which  distinguishes  the  Chinese  language  from 
all  others,  is  its  surprising  originality,  its  great  antiquity, 
its  immutability,  and,  above  all,  its  prodigious  extension 
over  the  most  populous  countries  of  Asia.  Of  all  the 
primitive  languages,  not  only  is  it  the  only  one  still 
spoken  in  our  own  day,  but  it  is  also  the  most  in  use  of 
all  living  modes  of  speech.  Chinese,  with  various  mod- 
ifications, is  spoken  in  the  eighteen  provinces  of  the 
Empire,  in  Mantchouria,  Corea,  Japan,  Cochin  China, 
Tonquin,  and  several  islands  of  the  Straits  of  Sunda. 


JOURNEY   THROUGH    THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          319 

It  is  unquestionably  the  language  the  most  widely  dif- 
fused throughout  the  world,  and  that  which  transmits 
the  ideas  of  the  greatest  number  of  men. 

The  Chinese  language  is  divided  into  two  quite  dis- 
tinct parts,  the  written  and  the  spoken.  The  written 
language  is  not  composed  of  letters  combined  together 
for  the  formation  of  words ;  it  is  not  alphabetical;  it  is 
a  collection  of  an  immense  number  of  written  charac- 
ters, more  or  less  complicated,  of  which  each  expresses 
a  word  and  represents  an  idea  or  an  object.  The  prim- 
itive characters  used  by  the  Chinese  were  signs  or  rather 
coarse  drawings,  which  imperfectly  represented  material 
objects. 

These  primitive  characters  were  two  hundred  and 
fourteen  in  number.  There  were  some  for  the  heavens  ; 
others  for  the  earth  and  for  man  ;  the  parts  of  the  body ; 
domestic  animals,  such  as  the  dog,  the  horse,  the  ox ; 
for  plants,  trees,  quadrupeds,  birds,  fish,  metals,  etc. 
Since  this  first  invention  of  Chinese  writing,  the  forms 
of  these  coarse  paintings  have  been  changed ;  but,  in- 
stead of  improving,  they  have  corrupted  them  ;  only  the 
primitive  strokes  have  been  preserved,  and  it  is  with 
this  small  number  of  figures  that  the  Chinese  have  com- 
posed all  their  characters  and  found  means  to  satisfy  the 
numerous  requirements  of  their  civilization. 

The  first  Chinese  must  have  soon  discovered  the  in- 
sufficiency of  their  two  hundred  and  fourteen  primitive 
signs ;  by  degrees,  as  society  advanced  and  the  circle  of 
their  knowledge  enlarged,  new  wants  must  have  made 
themselves  felt,  the  number  of  characters  had  necessarily 
to  be  increased ;  and  for  that  a  new  method  adopted,  for 
it  would  not  do  to  have  a  number  of  new  figures  that, 
as  they  were  multiplied,  would  be  confounded  together. 
How  with  thesa  rude  sketches  could  it  be  possible  to 
distinguish  a  dog  from  a  wolf  or  a  fox ;  an  oak  from  an 


;^<)          JOUUNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  E.Ml'Jl;!.. 

apple  or  tea  tree?  How  especially  would  it  be  possible 
to  express  human  passions,  anger,  love,  and  pity,  ab- 
stract ideas,  and  operations  of  the  mind  ? 

In  the  midst  of  these  difficulties  there  does  not  seem 
to  have  been  at  any  time  an  idea  of  introducing  an  al- 
phabetical or  even  syllabic  system ;  the  Chinese  could 
obtain  no  knowledge  of  such  a  one  among  the  barbarous 
and  illiterate  nations  by  whom  they  were  surrounded ; 
and,  besides,  they  have  always  had  the  highest  opinion 
j  of  their  written  language,  regarding  it  as  a  celestial  in- 
vention, the  principle  of  which  was  revealed  to  Fou-hi, 
the  founder  of  their  nationality.  They  were  forced, 
therefore,  to  have  recourse  to  combinations  of  the  primi- 
tive figures  ;  and  by  this  means  they  formed  an  im- 
mense multitude  of  signs,  composed  for  the  most  part 
arbitrarily,  but  which  sometimes  present  ingenious  sym- 
bols, lively  and  picturesque  definitions,  and  enigmas, 
the  more  interesting  as  the  solution  has  not  been  lost. 
Natural  objects,  and  many  others  which  can  be  assim- 
ilated to  them,  are  all  classed  under  the  animal,  tree,  or 
plant,  which  was  the  type  of  them  in  the  two  hundred 
and  fourteen  primitive  characters ;  the  wolf,  the  fox,  the 
ram,  and  the  other  carnivora,  were  referred  to  the  dogs ; 
the  various  species  of  goats  and  antelopes,  to  the  sheep ; 
the  deer,  the  roebuck,  and  the  animal  that  produces 
musk,  to  the  stag ;  the  other  ruminants,  to  the  ox ;  the 
rodentia,  to  the  rat;  the pachydermata,  to  the  pig;  the 
hoofed,  to  the  horse.  The  name  of  every  creature  is 
thus  composed  of  two  parts ;  one  relating  to  the  kind, 
the  other  determining  the  species  by  a  sign  indicative 
cither  of  the  peculiarities  of  conformation,  the  habits  of 
the  animal,  or  the  use  that  may  be  made  of  it.  By  this 
/  ingenious  method  are  formed  real  natural  families,  which, 
I  with  the  exception  of  a  few  anomalies,  might  be  acknowl- 
edged by  modern  naturalists. 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          321 

With  respect  to  abstract  ideas  and  acts  of  the  under- 
standing the  difficulty  was  greater ;  but  it  was  not  less 
ingeniously  met.  To  paint  anger,  they  make  a  heart 
surmounted  by  the  sign  of  a  slave  ;  a  hand  holding  the 
symbol  of  the  middle  designates  the  historian,  whose 
first  duty  it  is  to  incline  to  neither  side ;  the  character 
signifying  straightness  and  also  that  of  walking  repre- 
sented the  government,  which  should  be  rectitude  itself 
in  action ;  to  express  the  idea  of  a  friend,  they  placed 
two  pearls,  one  beside  the  other,  because  it  is  so  diffi- 
cult to  find  two  pearls  exactly  matching  one  another. 
For  many  of  the  words  the  figure  is  entirely  arbitrary : 
but  there  are  great  numbers  of  which  the  analysis 
would  be  very  interesting.  The  ancient  missionaries 
mention  several ;  but  they  are  far  from  having  exhausted 
the  subject,  or  even  studied  it  under  its  most  curious 
relations.  It  would  be  impossible  to  calculate  the  tra- 
ditions, the  allusions,  the  unexpected  analogies,  the  pic- 
turesque and  epigrammatic  features  which  are  thus  in- 
closed in  these  characters  ;  and  it  is  incredible  what 
light  would  be  thrown  on  the  ancient  moral  and  philo- 
sophical opinions  of  the  primitive  nations  of  Oriental 
Asia  by  studying  carefully,  while  guarding  against  too 
hasty  theorizing,  these  symbolical  expressions  ;  in  which 
they  have  painted  unconsciously,  themselves,  their  man- 
ners, and  the  whole  order  of  things  under  which  they 
have  lived,  and  with  which  history  has  made  us  so  im- 
perfectly acquainted,  since  they  date  from  a  time  when 
history  was  not. 

Chinese  characters  were  at  first  traced  with  a  metallic 
point  upon  little  bamboo  tablets  ;  and  it  was  with  a  view 
of  facilitating  their  execution,  that  by  degrees  the  primi- 
tive form  was  modified,  until  the  figurative  type  was 
almost  lost.  The  stiffness  of  their  strokes  also  was 
much  softened  three  centuries  before  our  era,  after  two 

o* 


-          JOl  HNKV  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

important  discoveries  ;  the  art  of  making  paper  with  the 
v  bark  of  the  mulberry  or  bamboo,  and  the  not  less  pre- 
cious one  of  preparing  the  substance  we  call  Indian  ink. 
The  small  brush  or  pencil  then  took  the  place  of  the 
metallic  graver,  successive  modifications  were  again  in- 
troduced in  the  figure,  till  at  .last  they  arrived  at  the 
present  character,  formed  from  the  combination  of  a 
certain  number  of  strokes,  either  straight  or  slightly 
curved. 

Chinese  writing  is  at  first  sight  disagreeable,  from  its 
strangeness  ;  but  when  one  is  accustomed  to  it,  one  soon 
begins  to  think  it  pretty  and  even  graceful.  All  these 
characters  firmly  drawn  with  a  pencil  acquire  a  degree 
of  delicacy  and  beauty ;  a  really  good  Chinese  hand- 
writing is  both  graceful  and  bold ;  and  the  slender, 
bony  fingers  of  the  Chinese  manoeuvre  their  pencils 
with  surprising  dexterity.  They  write  their  characters 
one  above  another  in  a  vertical  line ;  and  this  arrange- 
ment does  not  allow  the  reader  to  see  the  whole  phrase 
at  once  as  in  horizontal  writing :  they  begin  their  lines 
by  the  right  of  the  page ;  in  a  word,  they  proceed  in 
exactly  the  contrary  way  to  the  European.  The  num- 
ber of  characters  successively  introduced  by  the  com- 
bination of  strokes  amounts  to  thirty  or  forty  thou- 
sand in  the  Chinese  dictionaries ;  but  two-thirds  of 
these  are  seldom  used,  and,  by  cutting  off  the  synonyms, 
/  five  or  six  thousand  characters,  with  their  various  signi- 
l  fications,  would  amply  suffice  to  understand  all  original 
\texts. 

It  has  been  said,  and  repeated  over  and  over  again, 
that  the  Chinese  pass  their  lives  in  learning  to  read,  and 
that  even  the  old  learned  men  depart  this  life  with- 
out having  accomplished  the  difficult  enterprise.  The 
notion  is  amusing,  but  fortunately  for_the  Chinese  very 
incorrect. 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          323 

If  to  know  a  language  it  were  necessary  to  know 
every  word  in  it,  how  many  Frenchmen  would  be  able 
to  boast  of  being  acquainted  with  their  native  tongue  ? 
llow  many  people  are  familiar  with  the  innumerable 
technical  phrases  that  fill  up  the  greater  part  of  our 
dictionaries  ?  It  has  been  imagined  and  asserted  in 
very  serious  works  that  Chinese  writing  is  purely 
ideographic.  This  is  an  error.  It  is  ideographic  and 
phonetic  at  the  same  time ;  but  as  the  demonstration 
of  the  truth  could  not  very  well  be  made  intelligible 
to  those  who  have  not  a  considerable  knowledge  of 
the  mechanism  of  the  language,  we  will  content  our- 
selves with  giving  one  proof  that  will  be  understood 
by  all. 

The  Chinese  characters  are  so  far  phonetic,  that  in  all 
our  missions  those  who  learn  to  serve  the  mass  have 
for  their  use  a  little  book  in  which  the  Latin  prayers 
are  written  out  in  Chinese  characters.  How  could  that 
be  if  they  were  simply  ideographic  ?  How  could  they 
render  and  express  exactly  the  sounds  of  our  European 
language  ?  • 

In  tlie  Pagoda  Libraries,  what  are  the  greater  part 
of  the  books  of  prayer  that  the  Buddhist  priests  have 
to  learn  from  one  end  to  the  other,  but  Chinese  tran- 
scriptions of  Sanscrit  books  ?  The  Bonzes  study  them, 
and  repeat  them  without  at  all  comprehending  their 
meaning,  because  by  means  of  these  so-called  ideograph- 
ic characters  they  have  translated  the  sound  without 
the  sense.  It  may  be  said,  that  every  Chinese  charac- 
ter is  composed  of  two  elements,  which  may  in  general 
be  easily  distinguished — one  ideographic,  the  other  pho- 
nographic. Is  not  this  the  case  with  all  writing?  It 
belongs  to  philologists  and  not  to  vis  to  determine  these 
questions. 

The   Chinese  in  their  written   language   have   three 


:>2i          JOI'KNKY    TJ1HOUGI1   TUK   CHINESE   EMPIRE. 

distinctions  of  style :  the  antique  or  sublime  style,  the 
type  of  which  is  to  be  found  in  the  ancient  literary 
monuments,  and  which  exhibits  very  rare  grammatical 
forms;  the  common  or  vulgar  style,  remarkable  £>r  a 
great  number  of  ligatures,  and  the  employment  of  words 
composed  to  avoid  homophony  and  facilitate  conversa- 
tion ;  and,  finally,  the  academic  style,  which  partakes 
of  the  two  preceding,  being  less  concise  than  the  antique 
and  less  prolix  than  the  vulgar.  A  profound  acquaint- 
ance with  the  antique  style  is  necessary  for  reading  the 
ancient  books ;  and  in  general  all  the  works  that  treat 
of  historical,  political,  or  scientific  subjects,  since  they 
are  always  written  in  a  style  that  approaches  the  antique. 
The  vulgar  style  is  employed  for  light  productions,  the- 
atrical pieces,  private  letters,  and  proclamations  intended 
to  be  read  aloud. 

The  spoken  language  is  composed  of  a  limited  number 
of  monosyllabic  intonations  ;  namely,  four  hundred  and 
fifty,  which  by  the  very  subtle  variation  of  the  accents 
arc  multiplied  to  about  sixteen  hundred.  It  results 
from  this  that  all  Chinese  words  are  necessarily  grouped 
in  homophonous  series,  whence  a  great  number  of  double 
meanings  may  arise  either  in  reading  or  speaking ;  but 
this  difficulty  is  avoided  by  coupling  synonymous  or 
antithetic  words.  In  this  manner  the  ambiguities  dis- 
appear, and  the  conversation  is  no  longer  embarrassed. 

The  language  called  llouan-hoa,  that  is  to  say,  com- 
mon universal  language,  is  that  which  the  Europeans 
wrongfully  designate  by  the  name  of  Mandarin  lan- 
guage, as  if  it  were  exclusively  reserved  for  the  Man- 
darins or  functionaries  of  government. 

The  Houan-hoa  is  the  language  spoken  by  all  in- 
structed persons  throughout  the  eighteen  provinces  of 
the  Empire,  and  in  this  a  distinction  is  made  between 
the  language  of  the  north  and  that  of  the  south.  The 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          325 

first  is  that  of  Pekin ;  it  is  marked  by  a  more  frequent 
and  sensible  use  of  the  guttural  or  aspirate  accent.  It 
is  spoken  in  all  the  provincial  government  offices ;  the 
officers  of  which  affect  to  imitate  the  pronunciation  of 
the  capital,  which  in  China,  as  elsewhere,  is  regarded  as 
the  regulator  of  propriety  of  language. 

The  common  language  of  the  south  is  that  of  the  in- 
habitants of  Nankin,  who  can  not  give  utterance  to  the 
guttural  accent,  like  those  of  the  north;  but  whose 
more  flexible  voices  give  the  varieties  of  intonation 
with  greater  accuracy.  Very  likely  when  Nankin  was 
the  capital  of  the  Empire*  its  pronunciation  was  the 
most  esteemed. 

Besides  the  two  subdivisions  of  the  universal,  or,  as 
the  Europeans  say,  the  Mandarin  language,  there  exist 
in  the  various  provinces  of  China  particular  local  idioms 
or  patois,  in  which  the  pronunciation  differs  much  from 
that  of  the  universal  language.  It  happens  sometimes 
that  one  side  of  a  river  does  not  understand  the  other ; 
but,  as  it  is  only  on  account  of  difference  of  pronuncia- 
tion, recourse  can  always  be  had  to  writing.  There  are 
also,  in  addition  to  these  patois,  dialects  peculiar  to  the 
provinces  of  Kouang-tong  and  Fo-Jden. 

The  literature  of  China  is  certainly  the  first  in  Asia, 
by  the  importance  of  its  monuments,  the  number  of 
which  is  prodigious.  Some  estimate  may  be  formed  of 
it  by  the  catalogue  of  the  Imperial  Library  of  Pekin, 
which  contains  12,000  titles  of  works  with  tables  of 
contents.  In  the  principal  catalogues  Chinese  litera- 
ture is  divided  into  four  great  sections.  The  first  is 
that  of  sacred  or  classical  books,  of  which  we  have  al" 
ready  spoken  in  a  preceding  chapter.  The  second  is  of 
those  on  history.  The  Chinese  count,  on  the  whole, 
twenty-four  complete  histories  of  the  different  dynasties 

*  Pekin  means  court  of  the  north,  and  Nankin  that  of  the  south. 


KM  JOUUNKY   THROUGH   THE   CHINESE   KMl'IKK. 

anterior  to  the  Mantchou,  without  counting  chronicles 
and  memoirs. 

The  first  great  collection  of  ancient  historical  monu- 
ments in  China  and  the  neighboring  countries  is  due 
to  the  celebrated  /Sse-ma-tsien,  an  Imperial  historian  of 
the  first  century  before  our  era.  It  is  composed  of  130 
books  divided  into  five  parts.  The  first  comprehends 
the  fundamental  chronicle  of  the  Emperors ;  the  second 
consists  of  chronological  canons ;  the  third  treats  of  the 
rites  of  music  and  astronomy,  the  division  of  time,  etc. ; 
the  fourth  contains  biographies  of  all  the  families  which 
have  been  possessors  of  principalities;  and  the  last, 
which  is  composed  of  seventy  books,  is  devoted  to 
memoirs  concerning  foreign  countries  and  biographies 
of  illustrious  men. 

In  the  middle  of  the  eleventh  century  Sse-ma-kouang, 
whose  Poetic  Garden  we  have  already  mentioned,  edited 
a  complete  series  of  annals  from  the  eighth  century  be- 
fore Christ  to  the  year  960,  the  date  of  the  accession  of 
the  dynasty  of  Song,  under  which  he  lived.  Father  de 
Mailla  has  given  a  translation  of  them  under  the  title 
of  General  History  of  China,  continuing  it  also  to  the 
first  Emperor  of  the  Mantchou  dynasty. 

Toward  the  end  of  the  thirteenth  century  Jtfa-touan- 
lin  published  his  celebrated  historical  encyclopaedia,  en- 
titled Profound  Researches  into  Ancient  Documents  of 
every  Kind. 

This  famous  historian  does  not  content  himself  with 
registering  documents;  he  discusses  and  explains  them, 
\/  and  his  work  is  the  richest  mine  that  can  be  consulted 
upon  all  that  relates  to  government,  political  economy, 
commerce,  agriculture,  scientific  history,  geography,  and 
ethnography. 

The  third  section  is  that  of  special  works  relating  to 
the  arts  and  sciences.  It  comprises,  first,  moral  treat- 


JOUKNEY  THROUGH   THE   CHINESE  EMPI1JE.  327 

ises,  the  familiar  dialogues  of  Confucius,  the  element- 
ary lessons  and  conversation  of  the  celebrated  Tchu-lii, 
treatises  on  the  passions  and  on  the  education  both  of 
men  and  women ;  secondly,  works  on  the  military  art ; 
thirdly,  special  treatises  on  the  penal  laws;  fourthly, 
on  agriculture  and  the  management  of  the  silk-worm; 
fifthly,  on  medicine  and  natural  history,  comprehending 
the  descriptions  of  animals,  vegetables,  and  minerals ; 
sixthly,  practical  treatises  on  astronomy  and  mathemat- 
ics; seventhly,  on  the  science  of  divination;  eighthly, 
on  the  liberal  ants,  namely,  painting,  writing,  music, 
and  the  art  of  drawingjtkejbow ;  ninthly,  essays  on  the 
coining  of  money,  on  making  ink,  and  the  preparation 
of  tea;  tenthly,  general  encyclopedias,  with  illustra- 
tions; eleventhly,  works  descriptive  and  illustrative  of 
ancient  and  modern  nations;  twelfthly,  treatises  on  the 
Buddhist  religion;  thirteenthly,  numerous  treatises  by 
adepts  of  the  sect  of  Tao;  fourteenthly,  mythological 
works. 

The  fourth  and  last,  section  comprehends  works  of 
light  literature,  such  as  poetry,  the  drama,  romances, 
and  novels. 

In  China  there  are  not,  as  in  Europe,  public  libraries 
and  reading-rooms;  but  those  who  have  a  taste  for 
reading  and  a  desire  to  instruct  themselves  can  satisfy 
their  inclinations  very  easily,  as  books  are  sold  here  at 
a  lower  price  than  in  any  other  country.  Besides,  the 
Chinese  find  every  where  something  to  read;  they  can 
scarcely  take  a  step  without  seeing  some  of  the  char- 
acters of  which  they  arc  so  proud.  One  may  say,  in 
fact,  that  all  China  is  an  immense  library;  for  inscrip- 
tions, sentences,  moral  precepts,  are  found  in  every  cor- 
ner written  in  letters  of  all  colors  and  all  sizes.  The 
trades  of  the  tribunals,  the  pagodas,  the  public  monu- 
ments, the  signs  of  the  shops,  the  doors  of  houses,  the 


328          JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE   CHINESE  K.MI'IKK. 

interior  of  the  apartments,  the  -corridors,  all  arc  full  of 
fine  quotations  from  the  best  authors.  Tea-cups,  plates, 
vases,  fans,  are  so  many  selections  of  poems,  often  cho- 
sen with  much  taste  and  prettily  printed.  A  Chinese 
has  no  need  to  give  himself  much  trouble  in  order  to 
enjoy  the  finest  productions  of  his  country's  literature. 
He  need  only  take  his  pipe  and  walk  out,  with  his  noso 
in  the  air,  through  the  principal  streets  of  the  first  town 
he  comes  to.  Let  him  enter  the  poorest  house  in  the 
most  wretched  village ;  the  destitution  will  often  be 
complete,  things  the  most  necessary -will  be  wanting; 
but  he  is  sure  of  finding  some  fine  maxims  written  out 
on  strips  of  red  paper.  Thus,  if  those  grand  large  char- 
acters, which  look  so  terrific  in  our  eyes,  though  they 
delight  the  Chinese,  are  really  so  difficult  to  learn,  at 
least  the  people  have  the  most  ample  opportunities  of 
studying  them,  almost  in  play,  and  of  impressing  them 
ineffaceably  on  their  memories. 

The  study  of  Chinese  was  long  regarded  in  Europe 
as  a  thing  extremely  difficult,  if«  not  impossible.  Who, 
indeed,  with  the  conviction  that  the  Chinese  themselves 
could  not  succeed  in  learning  properly  to  read,  would 
have  been  willing  to  engage  in  so  hopeless  an  enter- 
prise ?  But  the  prejudice  has  at  last  been  overcome, 
and  philologists  have  found  out  that  Chinese  may  be 
(  learned  as  easily  as  other  foreign  languages.  M.  Abel 
Ilemusat  is  perhaps  the  first  who  had  the  resolution  to 
attempt  in  earnest  to  conquer  the  obstacles  which  seem- 
ed to  forbid  access  to  it ;  but  when  this  learned  Orient- 
alist had  in  some  measure  smoothed  the  way,  and  shown 
by  his  example  that  it  was  possible  to  acquire  a  knowl- 
edge of  the  language  of  Confucius,  many  learned  men 
threw  themselves  eagerly  into  the  route  that  he  had 
pointed  out,  and  at  present  there  may  be  counted  in 
Europe  several  distinguished  Chinese  scholars ;  at  the 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          329 

head  of  whom  stands  M.  Stanislas  Julien,  who  has  at- 
tained to  so  thorough  a  knowledge  of  this  language, 
that  we  are  persuaded  very  few,  even  of  the  Chinese 
themselves,  are  equally  capable  of  understanding  the 
more  abstruse  productions  of  their  literature. 
v.  With  respect  to  the  spoken  language,  Chinese  does 
'not  present  as  many  impediments  and  difficulties  as 
many  of  the  languages  of  Europe. 

The  pronunciation  alone  requires  some  pains,  espe- 
cially in  the  beginning ;  but  by  degrees  you  become 
familiar  with  the  exigencies  of  accents  and  aspirates, 
especially  when  you  live  in  the  country,  and  have  no 
intercourse  with  any  but  natives.  In  making  these  few 
remarks  on  the  Chinese  language,  we  have  thought  that 
we  should  probably  meet  the  wishes  of  our  readers ; 
but  it  is  now  time  to  resume  our  itinerary. 

Master  Ting  had  often  predicted  to  us,  that  when  we 
reached  Hou-pe  we  should  look  back  with  regret  on 
Sse-tchouen.  We  should,  he  said,  find  the  inhabitants 
coarse  in  their  manners,  unobservant  of  the  Rites,  and 
speaking  an  unintelligible  language.  Then  the  roads 
were  detestable ;  there  was  seldom  a  communal  palace 
to  be  met  with,  but  in  its  place  only  a  very  bad  inn. 
Our  first  halt  at  Pa-toung,  however,  by  no  means  justi- 
fied these  sombre  previsions.  We  were  in  the  province 
of  Hou-pe,  and  we  found  ourselves  just  as  well  off  as 
before.  We  were  treated  with  civility,  and  the  Kao- 
pan  or  Theatre  of  Examinations,  which  served  us  for  a 
lodging,  was  certainly  as  good  as  a  communal  palace. 
We  had,  nevertheless,  gathered  some  information  on 
the  road  that  was  by  no  means  agreeable ;  the  Manda- 
rins and  literary  men  whom  we  met  were  unanimous  in 
declaring  that  we  should  find  the  journey  from  this 
stage  toilsome  and  difficult;  that  the  roads  were  badly 
kept,  and  that  we  should  find  no  good  palanquin 


380          JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE   CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

bearers.  All  this  proceeded  from  the  proximity  of  the 
Blue  River.  The  navigation  of  that  river,  they  said, 
was  so  cheap  and  easy,  that  both  travelers  and  mer- 
chandise generally  went  by  water ;  and  although  always 
on  our  guard  against  the  deceit  and  falsehood  of  the 
Chinese,  their  arguments  this  time  appeared  plausible 
enough ;  and  it  was  agreed  that  we  should  follow  the 
course  of  the  river  as  long  as  possible ;  on  condition, 
however,  of  landing  every  evening,  and  passing  the 
night  at  the  towns  previously  marked  out  for  our  halts. 

The  first  night  after  leaving  Pa-toung  we  stopped  at 
Kouei-tcheou,  where,  except  a  good  deal  of  commercial 
bustle  in  the  port,  we  found  nothing  remarkable.  The 
next  day  we  embarked  very  early ;  and  our  escort  was 
increased  by  the  addition  of  a  military  officer  and  some 
soldiers,  to  protect  us,  it  was  said,  against  the  pirates. 
We  passed  without  accident  a  place  dangerous  from  its 
numerous  reefs ;  some  of  the  last  met  with  on  this  fine 
river,  which  beyond  this  place  goes  on  increasing  from 
day  to  day,  and  spreading  richness  and  fertility  around 
it.  There  is  certainly  no  one  in  the  world  to  be  com- 
pared with  it  for  the  multitude  of  men  whom  it  feeds, 
and  the  prodigious  number  of  vessels  that  it  bears  on  its 
waters.  Nothing  can  be  more  grand  and  majestic  than 
the  development  of  this  river  during  its  course  of  1980 
miles.  At  TcJioung-king,  900  miles  from  the  sea,  it  is 
already  a  mile  and  a  half  broad ;  at  its  mouth  it  is  no 
less  than  twenty-one. 

Before  we  reached  I-tchang-fou,  a  town  of  the  first 
class,  we  passed  a  little  custom-house  for  the  salt  duties, 
and  our  boats  had  to  stop  for  the  visit  of  the  officers. 
We  thought  it  rather  strange  that  Mandarins'  boats 
should  be  subjected  to  these  visits ;  but  Master  Ting 
assured  us  it  was  all  according  to  rule.  These  visits," 
lie  said,  "  arc  on  account  of  the  crews  of  the  boats,  who 


JOURNEY   THROUGH  THE   CHINESE  EMPIRE.          331 

sometimes  profit  by  the  presence  of  public  functionaries 
to  do  a  great  deal  of  smuggling ;  you  must,  therefore, 
resign  yourselves  and  have  patience." 

We  resigned  ourselves  therefore,  and  had  patience 
accordingly.  The  custom-house  officers  first  visited  the 
boat  in  which  the  soldiers  were,  and,  having  found  in  it 
no  more  salt  than  was  necessary  for  culinary  purposes, 
allowed  it  to  set  sail  again  and  continue  its  passage. 

Afterward,  they  came  on  board  of  ours ;  and,  when 
they  had  politely  saluted  the  passengers,  they  requested 
the  master  of  the  vessel  to  take  them  down  into  the 
hold.  "  The  hold !"  he  exclaimed,  with  an  air  of  the  ut- 
most astonishment ;  "  you  would  spoil  your  fine  clothes. 
I  have  ballasted  my  vessel  with  mud,  and  you  know 
very  well  that  when  one  carries  Mandarins  one  does 
not  carry  merchandise." 

"  Who  knows,"  cried  the  little  military  Mandarin 
whom  we  took  up  at  Kouei-tcheou ;  "  perhaps  these  two 
noble  Europeans  come  here  to  smuggle  salt ;"  and  then 
he  applauded  his  own  wit  by  a  shout  of  laughter.  The 
officers,  however,  did  not  allow  themselves  to  be  discon- 
certed by  this  hilarity,  but  quietly  began  their  search ; 
and  shortly  afterward  we  heard  a  tremendous  uproar. 
There  in  the  hold,  sure  enough,  had  been  found,  not  mud, 
but  a  considerable  cargo  of  salt !  and  the  chief  smuggler 
wTas  no  other  than  the  said  military  Mandarin  who  had 
been  put  on  board  to  protect  us  against  pirates.  The  affair 
now  became  serious ;  an  embargo  was  immediately  laid 
on  the  vessel,  and  every  one  on  board  became  compro- 
mised. Every  one,  therefore,  master,  sailors,  custom- 
house officers,  Mandarins,  and  our  intrepid  smuggler 
with  the  gilt  ball,  began  to  vociferate  at  once.  We 
were  the  only  listeners  ;  but  it  was  by  no  means  easy  to 
make  out  what  any  one  was  saying.  All  we  could  under- 
stand was,  that  the  sailors  were  exclaiming  against  the 


r,:i2          JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EM1MUF, 

skipper,  the  skipper  against  the  smuggler,  the  smuggler 
and  the  custom-house  officers  against  every  body  else. 
Master  Ting  was  perfectly  sublime  in  his  wrath;  he 
rushed  from  one  to  the  other,  bawling  and  gesticulat- 
ing vehemently,  but  without  seeming  to  know  or  care 
whether  any  one  listened  to  him.  When  and  how  was 
all  this  to  finish  ?  That  was  what  we  were  trying  to 
find  out,  but  we  could  not  succeed. 

During  this  inconceivable  uproar  the  vessel  of  course 
was  standing  still.  It  was  already  late,  and  it  appeared 
we  should  not  get  to  the  port,  though  it  was  but  a  little 
way  off.  To  wait  till  all  parties  were  agreed  was  evi- 
dently out  of  the  question ;  and  we  saw  no  other  re- 
source than  to  throw  ourselves  into  the  melee.  We 
seized,  therefore,  upon  Master  Ting,  the  custom-house 
officers,  and  the  smuggler,  and  drove  them  before  us 
down  the  ladder  into  our  cabin.  As  soon  as  we  had 
secured  our  men,  we  forbade  them  to  say  another  word 
about  salt.  The  boat,  we  said,  had  been  hired  to  take 
us — us  to  I-tchang-fou.  We  had  already  been  subjected 
to  a  long  delay,  and  it  mattered  to  us  very  little  whose 
fault  it  was,  we  should  make  them  all  responsible. 
"Let  us  set  off  again,"  we  said;  "and  when  you  arc 
once  in  port,  you  may  take  as  long  as  you  like  to 
settle  your  quarrel."  They  were  about  to  recommence 
their  explanations,  but  one  of  us  kept  them  blockaded 
in  the  between-decks,  while  the  other  went  up  and  gave 
orders  to  the  master  to  set  sail  again ;  and  he  did  so, 
carrying  with  him  the  custom-house  officers  in  despair 
at  leaving  their  station. 

As  soon  as  we  had  reached  the  port  we  hastened  to 
effect  our  disembarkation,  leaving  the  salt  question  to 
be  discussed  by  those  whose  business  it  was.  It  was 
!il most  dark  when  we  entered  the  town  of  I-tchang-fou. 
We  had  for  a  guide  a  very  ill-looking  fellow,  whom  the 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          333 

prefect  had  sent  to  meet  us  on  the  shore,  and  who  took 
us  to  what  he  called  a  communal  palace.  In  this  fine 
large  town  of  the  first  class  they  could  find  for  two 
Frenchmen  traveling  under  the  protection  of  the  Son 
of  Heaven  no  better  lodging  than  a  damp  hole,  without 
doors,  windows,  or  furniture,  and  already  serving  as  a 
barrack  to  legions  of  rats,  whose  noise  and  foul  odor 
made  us  shudder.  We  restrained  our  indignation ;  for 
what  was  the  use  of  saying  any  thing  to  that  man,  who 
doubtless  had  done  nothing  but  obey  orders  ? 

After  having,  with  the  aid  of  a  lantern,  attentively  in- 
spected this  pretended  communal  palace,  we  gave  orders 
to  carry  ourselves  and  our  baggage  immediately  to  the 
prefect's  tribunal.  We  were  introduced  there  into  a 
great  hall,  where  we  hastened  to  have  our  palanquins 
deposited  and  our  trunks  arranged,  giving  our  servant 
Wei-chan  to  understand  that  he  might  set  up  his  little 
menage  in  a  corner.  While  we  were  quietly  occupied 
with  these  arrangements  the  people  of  the  tribunal  went 
and  came  perpetually ;  but  without  ever  addressing  a 
word  to  us,  and  merely  interrogating  Master  Ting,  who 
replied  always  by  a  series  of  little  cringes,  but  without 
saying  a  word,  for  fear  of  compromising  himself  either 
with  us  or  the  authorities  of  the  place.  At  last  the 
Hall  of  Guests  was  opened,  and  the  prefect  entered  at 
one  end  and  we  at  another ;  and  after  having  recipro- 
cally performed  some  profound  salutations,  we  went  and 
sat  down  on  the  divan.  Directly  afterward,  tea,  and 
some  fine  slices  of  water-melon  were  served.  The  con- 
versation did  not  get  on  very  well ;  but  fortunately  we 
could  get  over  part  of  the  embarrassment  by  busying 
ourselves,  the  prefect  with  his  tea,  and  we  with  our 
melon. 

The  magistrate  of  I-tchang-fou  perceiving  that  we 
manifested  a  decided  taste  for  this  refreshing  fruit,  en- 


:;:;i          JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

delivered  to  make  use  of  it  as  a  bait  to  entice  us  away 
from  his  house,  and  make  us  go  and  lodge  where  he  had 
intended  to  put  us.  "This  fruit  is  excellent  in  this 
warm  weather,"  said  he.  "Delicious,"  said  we.  "I 
;nn  going  to  select  two,"  he  continued,  "  which  I  will 
send  for  you  to  the  communal  palace.  You  have  seen 
it,  I  suppose ;  I  gave  orders  to  have  you  taken  there." 

"We were  taken  to  a  damp,  dilapidated  place,  swarm- 
ing with  rats  ;  we  could  not  lodge  there." 

"Yes,  I  have  been  told  it  was  not  very  dry;  but 
that's  an  advantage  in  summer — the  damp  keeps  it 
cool.  Besides,  it  is  the  best  place  we  have  for  guests. 
I-tchang-fou  is  a  great  town,  it  is  true,  but  it  is  very- 
poor  ;  there  are  no  good  lodgings  in  it ;  you  may  ask 
the  people  here." 

"We  never  said  I-tchang-fou  was  not  a  poor  town, 
we  are  persuaded  it  is ;  we  only  said  we  could  not  lodge 
there." 

"In  that  case,"  said  the  prefect,  sulkily,  "will  you 
lodge  in  my  house  ?" 

Since  he  had  had  the  politeness  to  invite  us  to  re- 
main, we  ought,  according  to  the  rites,  to  have  had 
the  politeness  to  go  immediately ;  but  we  were  not  Chi- 
nese. 

"Yes,  thank  you,"  we  replied;  "we  shall  be  very 
comfortable  here;"  and  then  we  complimented  with 
great  prodigality  of  expression  the  beauty  and  magnifi- 
cence of  his  tribunal.  The  prefect  now  rose,  saying 
that  it  was  late,  and  that  it  would  be  necessary  to  pre- 
pare our  beds.  He  added,  with  a  bow,  that  we  had 
done  him  great  honor  in  not  disdaining  to  lodge  in  his 
miserable  habitation ;  but  we  saw  in  his  face  that  he 
was  furious. 

As  soon  as  he  'had  gone,  we  established  ourselves 
very  commodiously  in  a  large  room,  next  to  the  hall  of 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          335 

reception ;  and  the  first  part  of  the  night  was  passed 
very  peaceably :  but  not  so  the  last ;  toward  midnight 
we  were  awakened  by  a  noisy  conversation.  The  func- 
tionaries of  I-tchang-fou,  who  probably  had  also  been 
supping  at  the  tribunal,  had  gone  afterward  into  the 
saloon  which  was  next  our  chamber ;  and  there  they  did 
not  hesitate  to  criticise  us  very  freely.  The  smallest 
details  of  this  piquant  conversation  were  distinctly  audi- 
ble to  us.  They  analyzed  us  completely,  morally  and 
physically.  Some  had  the  charity  to  consider  us  as 
endurable,  and  not  to  say  too  much  against  us ;  others 
said  that  we  had  not  been  long  enough  in  the  Central 
Kingdom  to  become  acquainted  with  the  rites,  and  that 
it  was  easy  to  see  in  us  the  signs  of  the  bad  educa- 
tion people  get  in  the  West.  There  was  one  who  ap- 
peared especially  excited  against  us,  and  did  all  he 
could  to  bring  his  comrades  to  his  own  way  of  think- 
ing ;  so  that,  if  they  had  listened  to  him,  our  journey 
would  not  have  been  continued  in  a  very  agreeable  man- 
ner. 

"  They  are  treating  these  people  a  great  deal  too 
well,"  said  he  ;  "  they  pretend  that  the  Viceroy  of  Sse- 
tchouen  treated  them  with  distinction ;  but  in  my  opin- 
ion he  was  quite  in  the  wrong ;  he  would  have  done 
much  better  to  put  a  cangue  upon  them.  These  men 
who  go  wandering  about  out  of  their  own  country  ought 
to  be  punished.  They  must  be  treated  with  severity. 
That's  the  way !  If  our  prefect  was  not  afraid  of  them, 
they  would  be  more  obedient.  Let  him  only  put  them 
into  my  hands  and  you  shall  see.  I  will  load  them  with 
chains,  and  take  them  in  that  way  to  Canton."  We 
thought  we  recognized  the  voice  of  the  gentleman  who 
promised  us  these  little  favors.  It  was  a  military  Man- 
darin, who  had  been  boasting  with  much  pride  and  ar- 
rogance of  having  been  in  the  war  against  the  English, 


836          JOURNEY  TIIi:ol  (ill    THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

and  of  having  seen  the  Western  devils  'near  enough  not 
to  be  afraid  of  them. 

The  talk  of  this  person,  to  say  the  truth,  annoyed  us. 
There  was  certainly  no  cause  to  fear ;  we  were  in  favor 
with  the  Government,  and  no  one  probably  would  ven- 
ture to  lay  hands  on  us ;  nevertheless,  we  had  still  a 
long  way  to  go,  and  they  might  occasion  us  a  great  deal 
of  trouble.  It  was  well  to  be  on  our  guard,  not  certain- 
ly by  "  making  our  hearts  small"  in  the  Chinese  fashion ; 
but,  on  the  contrary,  by  enlarging  them.  We  got  up, 
therefore,  very  quietly ;  and,  after  having  put  on  our 
robes  of  state,  abruptly  opened  the  door,  and  bounced 
out  upon  our  fiery  warrior.  "Here  we  are,"  we  said; 
"go  and  fetch  your  chains,  since  that  is  the  way  you 
mean  to  take  us  to  Canton,  you  shall  do  so  immediately; 
go  and  fetch  them,  do  you  hear  ?"  Our  sudden  appear- 
ance disconcerted  the  conspirators ;  but  AVC  pursued  our 
future  conductor,  roaring  to  him  to  go  for  his  chains, 
while  for  every  step  we  made  forward  he  drew  one  back. 
At  last  we  fairly  drove  him  into  a  corner  of  the  room, 
looking  terribly  frightened.  "But,"  stammered  he,  "I 
don't  understand  what  all  this  is  about.  Who  wishes 
to  chain  you?  Who  could  have  the  right  to  do  so?" 
"  You,  of  course ;  you  said  so  just  now,  we  heard  you. 
Chain  us  then  directly,  if  you  like."  "I  do  not  under- 
stand, I  do  not  understand,"  still  repeated  the  valiant 
Mandarin.  "  Nobody  here  ever  said  such  a  word.  How 
could  we  think  of  such  a  thing  as  chaining  you  ?  Are 
we  not  here  to  serve  you  ?" 

By  degrees  the  rest  of  the  company  began  to  join  in 
the  conversation,  every  one  protesting  that  what  we  had 
ourselves  heard  had  never  been  spoken.  That  was  all 
we  wanted.  Our  sortie  had  been  as  successful  as  we 
could  desire,  and  we  now  returned  to  our  room,  con- 
vinced that  we  need  not  make  ourselves  at  all  uneasy 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          337 

about  the  braggings  of  the  Mandarins  of  I-tchang-fou. 
The  council  did  not  assemble  again,  and  as  soon  as  we 
had  retired  every  one  went  home. 

In  the  morning  the  prefect  hastened  to  express  his 
regrets  for  the  vexatious  occurrence  of  the  night.  He 
assured  us  that  the  Mandarin  whose  conversation  had 
annoyed  us  had  a  bad  tongue,  but  a  good  heart;  and 
that  every  one  there  felt  the  greatest  regard  for  us. 

"We  are  perfectly  convinced  of  that,"  we  replied; 
"but  the  circumstance  that  took  place  last  night  was 
very  scandalous.  All  the  servants  in  the  house  were, 
witnesses  of  it,  and  the  news  has,  probably,  by  this 
time,  been  spread  all  over  the  town.  Every  one  knows, 
no  doubt,  that  one  of  the  military  officers  of  the  town 
undertook  to  put  chains  iipon  us ;  and,  under  these  cir- 
cumstances, we  do  not  think  it  would  accord  with  our 
dignity  to  set  off  again  directly.  We  will  repose  here 
for  a  day.  It  must  not  be  thought  that  we  hastened  to 
get  away  because  we  were  afraid.  For  the  sake  of  our 
own  honor  and  yours,  every  one  must  know  that  we  have 
been  treated  properly  by  the  authorities  of  I-tchang-fou/' 

The  prefect  was  evidently  vexed  to  hear  us  speak  in 
this  way ;  but  he  admitted  the  legitimacy  of  our  rea- 
soning, and  resigned  himself  to  the  hard  necessity  of 
keeping  us  another  day  in  his  tribunal. 

The  day  passed  in  peace,  and  even  rather  agreeably. 
We  saw  again  the  Mandarins  with  whom  we  had  made 
acquaintance  during  the  night,  with  the  exception,  how- 
ever, of  the  formidable  antagonist  of  the  English  army. 
It  was  in  vain  that  we  invited  him,  and  assured  him 
that  we  had  no  more  inclination  to  chain  others  than  to 
be  chained  ourselves,  he  would  not  come ;  but  he  sent 
us  his  visiting  card,  alleging  his  innumerable  occupa- 
tions as  the  cause  that  would  prevent  his  waiting  on  us 
in  person. 

VOL.  I.— P 


.NirUNEY   THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

We  profited  by  this  day  of  rest  to  see  the  toAvn ;  but 
we  found  nothing  remarkable  in  it.  In  general,  all  the 
groat  towns  of  China  are  much  alike :  there  are  crowds 
of  people  running  about,  and  pushing  against  one  an- 
other, but  no  public  monuments,  or  any  thing  to  interest 
a  traveler,  such  as  he  would  find  in  Europe. 

We  quitted  I-tchang-fou,  however,  as  free  men,  with- 
out either  handcuffs  or  chains  on  our  feet;  and  we  felt 
sure  that  they  would  not  in  any  tribunal  venture  to 
make  such  a  proposal  in  future,  for  fear  of  seeing  their 
prisoners  metamorphose'd  into  unwelcome  guests. 

We  continued  our  journey  still  down  the  river,  as 
this  was  decidedly  the  most  convenient,  pleasant,  and 
expeditious  mode  of  traveling.  On  our  way  we  passed 
another  custom-house,  but  without  being  stopped.  The 
officers  were  tranquilly  smoking  their  pipes  in  front  of 
it,  and  watched  us  passing  without  disturbing  them- 
selves. Master  Ting  said,  that  they  had  come  to  visit 
us  before,  because  they  had  had  information  of  there 
being  contraband  goods  on  board. 

The  custom-houses  in  the  interior  of  China  are  not 
numerous,  or  at  all  severe  in  their  proceedings.  At  the 
time  when  we  had  been  in  the  same  position  as  other 
missionaries  traveling  as  native  Chinese,  and,  conse- 
quently, subject  to  the  same  laws  as  any  one  else,  we 
traversed  the  Empire  from  one  end  to  the  other,  without 
having  any  where  had  our  trunks  searched,  which  con- 
tained European  books,  sacred  ornaments,  and  many 
other  prohibited  articles.  The  officers  of  the  customs 
used  to  present  themselves ;  we  declared  that  we  were 
not  merchants,  and  carried  with  us  no  contraband  goods ; 
we  then  offered  our  keys  in  a  very  calm  and  stately 
manner,  and  requested  them  to  examine  our  trunks, 
which  they  never  did.  If  they  had  been  as  rigid  and 
active  in  the  performance  of  their  duty  as  those  of 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          339 

France,  for  instance,  the  poor  missionaries  would  not 
have  Ibeen  able  to  get  off  so  well ;  "but  one  can  mostly 
extricate  one's  self  from  any  difficulty  of  this  kind  in 
China  by  means  of  a  small  pecuniary  offering. 

The  greater  part  of  the  custom-houses  are  established 
solely  for  salt,  the  trade  in  which,  in  most  of  the  prov- 
inces, is  a  government  monopoly.  The  Chinese  make 
a  great  consumption  of  this  article ;  their  food  is  full  of 
it.  In  almost  every  family  you  find  an  abundant  pro- 
vision of  herbs  and  of  salt  fish,  as  it  i$  the  ordinary 
food  of  the  lower  classes ;  and  even  those  of  a  higher 
rank  always  have  it  served  on  their  tables.  It  is  with 
salt,  also,  that  they  correct  the  insipidity  of  their  rice 
boiled  in  water.  The  Chinese  are  small  eaters,  and  live 
on  very  little ;  we  have  always  thought  that,  as  salt  is 
a  nutritive  substance,  the  quantity  they  take  of  it  must 
supply  the  want  of  more  food ;  but  with  this  kind  of 
diet  it  may  be  supposed  they  must  be  continually 
thirsty,  and  that  accounts  for  their  drinking  tea  at  all 
hours  of  the  day. 

Since  the  last  war  with  the  English,  the  government 
has  established  a  great  number  of  custom-houses  along 
the  line  that  European  goods  have  to  follow  to  reach 
the  interior  of  the  Empire.  The  Chinese  being  forced 
to  permit  the  trade  which  the  English  opened  for  them- 
selves with  their  artillery,  have  no  other  way  than  this 
to  oppose  their  invasion ;  and  consequently  the  further 
their  goods  proceed  into  China,  the  heavier  become 
the  duties  to  which  they  are  subjected.  Too  weak 
to  repel  force  by  force,  and  say  we  will  have  none  of 
your  merchandise,  this  is  the  only  expedient  they  have 
been  able  to  hit  on,  in  order  to  protect  the  native  in- 
dustry. 

We  arrived  early  at  I-tou-hien,  a  town  of  the  third 
class,  where  we  were  received  in  a  charming  commu- 


340          JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMI'IUK. 

nal  palace  by  a  Mandarin  no  less  charrying.  The  iirst 
magistrate  of  I-tou-hicn  is,  unquestionably,  the  most  ac- 
complished person  we  ever  met  among  the  Chinese  func- 
tionaries. 

I  le  was  quite  a  young  man,  somewhat  weakly,  with 
a  pale  face,  apparently  attenuated  by  study.  He  had 
obtained  the  degree  of  doctor  in  Pekin,  when  he  was 
scarcely  more  than  a  child ;  and  his  gentle  and  spirit- 
ual-looking countenance  was  rather  set  off  than  other- 
wise by  a  parj  of  gold-rimmed  spectacles  of  European 
manufacture.  His  conversation,  full  of  good  sense,  re- 
finement, and  modesty,  was  really  delightful ;  and  the 
exquisite  politeness  of  his  manners  might  have  recon- 
ciled any  one  ever  so  averse  to  them,  to  the  Chinese 
Rites.  On  our  arrival  we  found  a  splendid  collation 
of  delicious  fruit,  laid  out  in  a  cool,  fresh  pavilion,  in 
the  midst  of  a  garden  shaded  by  large  trees.  Among 
the  rarities  of  this  rich  dessert  we  remarked  with  pleas- 
ure cjierriejL  of  a  brilliant  red  color,  finepeaches,  and 
other  fruits  that  do  not  grow  inTtTic" province  of  Hou-pe, 
and  we  could  not  help  expressing  our  surprise  at  the  cir- 
cumstance. "  How  could  you  possibly  procure  such 
rare  fruit  ?"  said  we  to  our  amiable  Mandarin. 

"  When  one  wishes  to  please  friends,"  said  he,  "  one 
always  finds  means  to  do  so.  The  resources  of  the  heart 
are  inexhaustible." 

We  passed  the  whole  day  and  part  of  the  night  in 
talking  to  this  interesting  Chinese.  He  had  many  ques- 
tions to  ask  concerning  the  various  nations  of  Europe ; 
and  he  always  made  his  inquiries  in  a  serious,  judi- 
cious manner,  worthy  of  a  man  of  high  intelligence. 
He  did  not  ask  one  of  the  puerile,  silly  questions  to 
which  his  brother  Mandarins  had  accustomed  us  so 
much.  Geography  appeared  to  be  the  subject  that  most 
interested  him,  and  he  had  a  great  deal  of  very  accurate 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          341 

knowledge  concerning  it.     He  surprised  us  very  much 
by  asking,  whether  the  European  governments  had  not 
yet  realized  the  project  of  cutting  tlirough  the  Isthmus      V 
of  Suez,  so  as  to  connect  the  Mediterranean  with  the    ' 
Indian  Ocean  ;   and  we  found  him  very  well  informed 
concerning  the  extent  and  importance  of  the  five  parts 
of  the  world ;  and  the  space  that  China  occupies  upon 
the  globe. 

The  Europeans  are  quite  in  error  when  they  attribute 
to  the  Chinese  a  total  ignorance  of  geography,  because 
they  find  among  them  absurd  maps,  a  kind  of  caricature 
of  the  earth,  manufactured  for  the  amusement  of  the 
lower  classes;  from  these  it  has  been  concluded  that 
even  the  studious  men  know  no  better.  At  all  times 
the  Chinese  have  given  proofs  of  having  great  interest 
in  geographical  knowledge.  It  is  very  evident  that 
with  their  present  system  of  remaining  at  home,  and 
refusing  admittance  to  foreigners,  it  must  be  very  diffi- 
cult for  them  to  acquire  precise  and  circumstantial  in- 
formation concerning  other  countries,  but  much  valuable 
knowledge  may,  notwithstanding,  be  found  in  their  writ- 
ings ;  and  Klaproth  has  availed  himself  of  the  assist-  \ 
ance  of  Chinese  geographers,  to  throw  a  great  deal  of  \ 
light  on  the  geography  of  Asia  in  the  middle  ages.  The 
recent  important  publication  of  H.  Stanislas  Julien, 
upon  the  travels  of  a  Chinese  in  India  in  the  sixth  cen- 
tury, shows  how  much  there  might  be  to  learn  in  the 
works  of  men  who  could  observe  so  well  and  describe 
what  they  had  observed  so  faithfully. 

We  found  in  an  Arab  book  entitled  "The  Chain  of 
Chronicles,"  composed  in  the  ninth  century,  a  passage 
capable  of  giving  a  good  idea  of  what  was  known  in 
China  at  a  time  when  European  knowledge  was  exceed- 
ingly small.  We  will  quote  this  fragment  from  the 
Arab  writer,  as  it  seems  likely  to  interest  the  reader : 


312          JOUKXKY  THROUGH  THE   CHINESE  EMPIKK. 

"There  was  at  Bassora  a  man  of  the  tribe  of  Core- 
ishites,  called  Ibn-  Vahab,  and  who  was  descended 
from  Habbar,  the  son  of  Al-Asvad.  The  town  of 
Bassora  having  been  ruined,  Ibn-Vahab  quitted  that 
country,  and  went  to  Siraf.  At  that  time  there  was  a 
ship  just  setting  sail  for  China,  and  it  occurred  to  Ibn- 
Y.-iliab  that  in  these  circumstances  he  would  embark  in 
this  ship.  When  he  arrived  in  China,  lie  wished  to  sec 
the  supreme  king ;  and  he  therefore  set  out  for  Khom- 
dan,*  and  from  the  port  of  Khan-fou  f  to  the  capital  is  a 
journey  of  two  months.  He  had  to  wait  a  long  time  at 
the  Imperial  gate,  although  he  presented  petitions  in 
which  he  announced  himself  as  being  come  of  the  same 
blood  as  the  prophet  of  the  Arabs.  At  length  the  Em- 
peror placed  a  house  at  his  disposal,  and  ordered  that 
he  should  be  provided  with  every  thing  necessary ;  at  the 
same  time  he  charged  the  officer  who  represented  him  at 
Khan-fou  to  make  inquiries  about  this  man,  and  consult 
merchants  concerning  him  who  asserted  himself  to  be  of 
the  family  of  the  prophet  of  the  Arabs,  to  whom  may 
God  be  propitious!  The  governor  of  Khan-fou  an- 
nounced in  his  answer,  that  the  pretensions  of  this  man 
were  well  founded.  Then  the  Emperor  admitted  him 
to  his  presence,  and  made  him  considerable  presents, 
and  he  returned  to  Irak  with  what  the  Emperor  had 
given  him. 

"  This  man  had  grown  old,  but  he  retained  the  use 
of  his  faculties.  He  related  to  us  that  when  he  was 
with  the  Emperor,  that  prince  asked  him  many  ques- 
tions on  the  subject  of  the  Arabs,  and  the  means  they 

*  At  present  Si-ngan-fou,  the  capital  of  the  province  of  Jlo-nan,  where 
was  found  the  inscription  of  which  we  have  spoken,  and  which  really 
was,  at  this  epoch,  the  residence  of  the  Emperors  of  the  dynasty  of  Tang. 

t  Khan-fou  is  a  sea-port  in  the  province  of  Tche-hiang.  We  once 
made  the  same  journey  as  the  Arab  traveler,  and  took  about  the  same 
time  fur  it. 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIUE.          343 

had  employed  to  overthrow  the  Empire  of  Persia.  This 
man  had  replied,  'The  Arabs  have  always  been  con- 
querors by  the  help  of  God,  whose  name  be  praised ! 
because  the  Persians  have  been  plunged  into  the  idol- 
atrous worship  of  the  sun,  the  moon,  and  the  fire,  in- 
stead of  the  Creator.'  The  Emperor  said,  'The  Arabs 
triumphed  on  that  occasion  over  the  noblest  of  empires, 
containing  the  most  cultivated  lands — the  most  abound- 
ing in  riches — the  most  fertile  in  intelligent  men,  the 
country  of  him  whose  renown  has  extended  farthest  of 
all.'  Then  lie  continued,  'What  is  in  your  opinion  the 
rank  of  the  principal  empires  in  the  world  ?'  The  man 
replied  that  he  was  not  able  to  give  an  opinion  on  such 
matters.  Then  the  Emperor  ordered  the  interpreter  to 
say  to  him  these  words :  '  We  ourselves  count  five  great 
sovereigns.  The  richest  is  he  who  reigns  in  Irak ;  that 
is  situated  in  the  middle  of  the  world,  and  the  other 
kings  are  placed  around  him.  He.  bears  among  us  the 
title  of  King  of  Kings.  After  this  empire  comes  our 
own:  the  sovereign  of  which  is  named  the  King  of 
Men ;  because  there  is  no  king  who  maintains  better 
order  in  his  states,  or  exercises  better  vigilance  over 
them.  Also  there  is  no  people  more  submissive  to  its 
prince  than  ours.  We  then  are  really  the  kings  of  men. 
Next  comes  the  King  of  Wild  Beasts,  who  is  the  King 
of  the  Turks,  and  whose  states  are  contiguous  to  those 
of  China.  The  fourth  king  in  rank  is  the  King  of  Ele- 
phants, that  is  to  say  the  King  of  India.  He  is  called 
among  us  also  the  King  of  Wisdom,  because  wisdom 
originated  among  the  Indians.  Lastly,  there  is  the 
Emperor  of  the  Romans,  called  among  us  the  King  of. 
Fine  Men,  because  there  is  not  on  the  earth  a  better-- 
made  race  of  men,  nor  with  more  handsome  faces  than 
the  Romans.  These  are  the  principal  kings.  The 
others  hold  only  a  secondary  rank.' 


341  JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

"The  Emperor  afterward  ordered  the  interpreter  to 
say  these  words  to  the  Arab:  'Would  you  recognize 
your  master  if  you  were  to  see  him?'  The  Emperor 
meant  the  Apostle  of  God,  to  whom  may  God  be  merci- 
ful! I  replied,  'And  how  should  I  see  him,  when  he 
is  now  on  high  with  God  ?'  The  Emperor  replied,  '  I 
did  not  mean  that,  I  was  speaking  only  of  his  face.' 
Then  the  Arab  answered,  'Yes!'  Immediately  the  Em- 
peror had  a  box  brought  to  him,  and  placing  it  before 
him,  he  took  from  it  some  pieces  of  paper  and  gave 
them  to  the  interpreter,  saying,  'Let  him  see  his  mas- 
ter.' 

"I  recognized  on  these  pages  the  portraits  of  the 
prophets,  and,  at  the  same  time,  I  repeated  prayers  for 
them,  so  that  my  lips  moved. 

"The  Emperor  did  not  know  that  I  had  recognized 
the  prophets,  and  he  asked  the  interpreter  why  I  moved 
my  lips.  The  interpreter  askc.T  me,  and  I  answered, 
'I  was  praying  for  the  prophets.'  The  Emperor  asked 
how  I  had  known  them,  and  I  answered,  'By  the  at- 
tributes that  distinguish  them.  Thus,  there  is  Noah 
in  his  Ark,  he  who  saved  himself  with  his  family  when 
the  Most  High  God  commanded  the  waters,  and  all  the 
earth  with  its  inhabitants  was  submerged.  Noah  only 
with  his  family  escaped  the  deluge.  At  these  words 
the  Emperor  began  to  laugh,  and  said,  '  You  have 
guessed  rightly,  when  you  recognized  Noah ;  but  as  to 
the  submersion  of  the  whole  earth,  that  is  what  we  do 
not  believe.  The  deluge  only  covered  a  part  of  the 
earth;  it  did  not  reach  either  this  country  or  India.' 
Ibn-Vahab  reported,  that  he  was  afraid  to  refute  what 
the  Emperor  had  said,  or  urge  the  arguments  that  he 
might  have  used,  but  which  the  prince  would  not  have 
admitted.  He  resumed,  however,  saying,  'There  is 
Moses  and  his  rod,  with  the  children  of  Israel.'  'That 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          345 

is  true ;  but  Moses  showed  himself  on  a  very  little  the- 
atre, and  his  people  were  not  always  well  disposed  to- 
ward him.'  I  then  said,  'There  is  Jesus  sitting  upon 
an  ass,  and  surrounded  by  the  Apostles.'  The  Emperor 
said,  'He  appeared  only  for  a  very  short  time:  his  mis- 
sion did  not  last  more  than  thirty  months.' 

"  Ibn-Vahab  continues  thus  to  pass  in  review  the 
diiferent  prophets ;  but  we  will  confine  ourselves  to 
repeating  a  part  of  what  he  said  to  us.  Ibn-Vahab 
added  that  above  each  prophet's  face  there  was  a  long 
inscription,  which  he  supposed  to  contain  the  name  of 
the  prophets,  their  country,  and  the  circumstances  that 
accompanied  their  mission.  Afterward  he  continued 
thus :  '  I  saw  the  face  of  the  Prophet  (upon  whom  be 
peace !)  ;  he  was  mounted  on  a  camel,  and  his  companions 
were  also  mounted  on  camels,  placed  around  him.  All 
wore  on  their  feet  Arab  coverings ;  all  had  tooth-picks 
attached  to  their_girdles.  As  I  began  to  weep,  the 
Emperor  fold  the  interpreter  to  ask  me  why  I  shed 
tears;  I  replied:  "  That  is  our  Prophet  our  Lord,  and 
my  cousin.  Peace  be  upon  him !"  the  Emperor  replied, 
"  You  have  spoken  truly.  He  and  his  people  raised  the 
most  glorious  of  empires,  only  he  was  not  to  see  with 
his  own  eyes  the  edifice  he  had  founded.  The  edifice 
was  only  seen  by  those  who  came  after  him." 

"  I  saw  also  a  great  many  other  pictures  of  prophets, 
some  of  whom  were  making  a  sign  with  their  right 
hands,  joining  the  thumb  and  the  fore-finger ;  as  if  by 
this  movement  they  had  wished  to  attest  some  truth. 
Some  were  represented  standing,  and  making  a  sign 
with  their  finger  toward  heaven.  There  were  also 
others,  whom  the  interpreter  told  me  were  prophets  of 
India. 

"Afterward  the  Emperor  interrogated  me  concerning 
the  caliphs  and  their  customs,  as  well  as  upon  our  re- 


346          JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

ligion,  manners,  and  customs,  and  such  things  as  I  was 
capable  of  answering.  Then  he  added,  '  What  in  your 
opinion  is  the  age  of  the  world  ?'  I  replied,  '  People  are 
not  agreed  about  that.  Some  say  six  thousand  years, 
others  more,  but  the  difference  is  not  great.' 

"  Thereupon  the  Emperor  laughed  very  much,  and 
the  Vizier,  who  was  standing  near  him,  signified  also 
that  he  was  not  of  my  opinion.  The  Emperor  said,  '  I 
do  not  think  your  prophet  said  that.'  Then  my  tongue 
turned,  and  I  said,  *  Yes!  he  did  say  so.'  Immediately 
I  saw  signs  of  disapprobation  on  the  Emperor's  counte- 
nance, and  he  charged  the  interpreter  to  transmit  to  me 
these  words. 

"  '  Pay  attention  to  what  you  say.  Men  do  not  speak 
to  kings  till  they  have  well  weighed  what  they  are  going 
to  say.  You  have  affirmed  that  you  are  not  all  agreed 
upon  this  point ;  you  are  not  then  agreed  upon  what 
your  prophet  has  asserted,  and  you  do  not  accept  all 
that  your  prophets  have  established.  It  is  not  right  to 
be  divided  in  such  cases ;  on  the  contrary,  such  affirma- 
tions should  be  received  Avithout  dispute. 

"  '  Take  care  of  that,  and  do  not  commit  the  same 
imprudence  again.' 

"  The  Emperor  said  many  more  things  which  have 
escaped  my  memory,  on  account  of  the  length  of  time 
that  has  elapsed  since.  Afterward  he  added,  '  Why  did 
you  not  go  rather  to  your  own  sovereign,  who,  both 
from  his  residence  and  his  race,  would  suit  you  much 
better  ?'  I  replied :  '  Bassora,  my  native  place,  was  in 
desolation.  I  was  at  Siraf.  I  saw  a  ship  going  to  set  sail 
for  China.  I  had  heard  of  the  splendor  of  .the  empire  of 
China,  and  of  the  abundance  of  all  things  that  are  found 
iu  it.  I  wished  to-  come  to  this  country,  and  see  it  with 
my  own  eyes.  Now  I  am  about  to  return  to  my  own 
country,  to  my  sovereign,  and  my  cousin,  and  I  will 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          347 

apeak  to  him  of  the  splendor  of  this  country,  to  which 
I  have  been  a  witness.  I  will  speak  to  him  of  the  vast 
extent  of  this  country,  of  all  the  advantages  I  have 
enjoyed  in  it,  of  all  the  goodness  that  has  "been  shown 
to  me.'  These  words  pleased  the  Emperor.  He  ordered 
that  a  rich  present  should  "be  given  to  me,  and  that  I 
should  return  to  Khan-fou  on  post  mules.  He  even 
wrote  to  the  governor  of  Khan-fou  to  recommend  him 
to  treat  me  well,  to  give  me  the  preference  over  -the 
officers  of  his  government,  and  to  provide  me  with  every 
tiling  I  wanted  up  to  the  moment  of  my  departure, 
and  I  lived  in  abundance  and  satisfaction  until  I  left 
China.' 

"  We  questioned  Ibn-Yahab  on  the  subject  of  the 
town  of  Khomdan,  where  the  Emperor  resided,  and  on 
the  manner  in  which  it  was  laid  out.  He  spoke  to  us 
of  the  extent  of  the  town,  and  of  the  number  of  the  in- 
habitants. The  town,  he  said,  is  divided  into  two  parts, 
separated  by  a  long  broad  street.  The  Emperor,  the 
Vizier,  the  troops,  the  Cadi  of  Cadis,  the  eunuchs  of  the 
court,  and  all  persons  who  belong  to  the  government, 
occupy  the  right  or  eastern  side.  No  person  of  the 
lower  class  is  to  be  found  there,  nor  any  thing  like  a 
market.  The  streets  are  traversed  by  rivulets,  and 
bordered  by  trees,  and  they  contain  vast  mansions. 

"  The  part  situated  on  the  left,  or  west  side,  is  des- 
tined for  the  people,  for  merchants,  shops,  and  markets. 
In  the  morning,  at  day-break,  you  see  the  stewards  of 
the  Imperial  Palace,  the  servants  of  the  court,  of  the 
generals  and  their  agents,  entering  on  foot  and  on  horse- 
back the  part  of  the  town  where  the  shops  and  markets 
are ;  you  see  them  buying  all  that  is  wanted  by  their 
masters,  and  after  that  they  return  to  their  own  quarter, 
and  you  see  nothing  of  them  till  the  next  morning. 
"  China  possesses  many  agreeable  things,  delightful 


;;1S          JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

groves  with  rivers  winding  through  them,  but  you  never 
find  the  palm-tree." 

In  reading  these  accounts  of  the  Arab  travelers,  it  is 
easy  to  be  seen  that  they  have  really  been  in  China,  and 
apart  from  the  exaggerations  inherent  in  the  Oriental 
character,  it  is  also  easy  to  recognize  the  country  of 
which  they  speak.  There  exhales,  as  it  were,  a  certain 
odor  of  China  from  their  writings,  that  can  not  be  mis- 
taken. Strange  that  this  people,  so  often  overtlirown 
by  long  and  terrible  revolutions,  should  still  have  pre- 
served that  peculiar  stamp  that  will  always  distinguish 
them  from  every  other. 

The  Chinese  of  the  ninth  century,  of  whom  these 
Arabs  speak,  are  certainly  the  same  that  Marco  Polo 
found  in  the  thirteenth,  although  they  were  then  sub- 
ject to  the  dominion  of  the  Mongol  Tartars.  Three 
centuries  later,  when  the  Portuguese  doubled  the  Cape 
of  Good  Hope,  and  again  discovered  China,  they  recog- 
nized the  people  whom  the  illustrious  Venetian  traveler 
had  previously  made  known  in  Europe,  and  in  our  own 
days  we  may  only  be  said  to  have  renewed  acquaint- 
ance with  the  same  old  Chinese  that  were  discovered 
by  the  Arabs  and  Marco  Polo. 


CHAPTER    IX. 

Names  given  by  the  Chinese  to  the  Kingdoms  of  Europe — Origin  of 
the  Words  China  and  the  Chinese  —  Explanation  of  the  various 
Names  that  the  Chinese  give  to  their  Empire — Good  and  venerable 
Prefect  of  Song-tche-hien  —  Portrait  of  the  ancient  Mandarins — 
Holy  Instructions  of  the  Emperors — A  Khorassanian  at  the  Imperial 
Court — Details  concerning  the  Manners  of  the  Ancient  Chinese — 
Causes  of  the  Decay  of  China — Means  employed  by  the  Mantchou 
Dynasty  to  consolidate  its  Power — Foreigners  not  always  excluded 
from  China  —  Bad  Policy  of  the  Government  —  General  Presenti- 

^  ment  of  a  Eevolution — Navigation  on  the  Blue  Eiver — Tempest — 
Loss  of  Provisions — Running  aground  three  Times — Shipwreck — 

.'    The  shipwrecked. 

THE  young  prefect  of  I-tou-liien,  after  having  gathered 
with  liveliest  interest  all  the  information  we  could  give 
him  concerning  the  different  countries  of  Europe,  be- 
thought himself  to  ask  us  how  we  called  his  country  in 
our  language.  When  he  heard  that  we  gave  it  the  name 
of  China,  and  its  inhabitants  that  of  Chinese,  he  could 
hardly  recover  from  his  astonishment.  He  insisted  upon 
knowing  what  these  words  meant,  the  sense  attached  to 
them,  why  the  words  China  and  Chinese  should  have 
been  chosen  to  designate  his  country  and  his  country- 
men. "We,"  said  he,  "call  the  happy  inhabitants  of 
your  illustrious  country  Si-yang-jin ;  now  Si  means 
West,  yang  sea,  and  jin  man,  so  that  the  word  means 
Olen  of  the  Western  Seas;'  that  is,  the  general  denom- 
ination. To  designate  the  several  nations,  we  transcribe 
their  names  as  faithfully  as  our  characters  will  allow  of. 
Thus  we  say  Fou-lang-sai,  that  is  to  say  homme-faran- 
cais.  When  we  speak  of  the  Westerns  we  sometimes 


S50          JOUKNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

seize  on  a  striking  trait  of  the  people  whom  we  wish  to 
point  out.  Thus  we  call  the  In-ki-li  (English)  Houng- 
mao-jin,  that  is,  '  Men  of  Red  Hair,'  because  it  is  said 
they  have  hair  of  that  color ;  and  we  give  to  the  Ya- 
iiie-ly-kien  (Americans)  the  name  of  *  MenpftheGaudy 
Banner,'  because  it  is  said  that  they  carry  at  the  masts 
oTtiieir  vessels  a  flag  striped  with  various  colors.  You 
see  that  all  these  denominations  have  a  sense,  a  mean- 
ing for  the  mind.  That  must  be  the  case  also  with 
your  words  China  and  Chinese ;  since  those  words  do 
not  belong  to  our  language,  they  must  necessarily  sig- 
nify something  in  yours." 

These  expressions — very  strange,  certainly,  in. the  ear 
of  a  Chinese — seemed  to  trouble  our  worthy  magistrate 
so  much,  that  to  prevent  him  from  imagining  that  they 
had  any  satirical  and  malevolent  sense,  we  were  obliged 
to  enter  on  a  little  historical  dissertation,  and  prove  to 
him  that  these  words  did  belong  radically  to  the  Chi- 
nese language  ;  that  it  was  the  name  they  formerly  gave 
themselves,  but  that  we  have  altered  it  to  suit  our  own 
mode  of  speech,  as  they  out  of  Francais  have  made 
fbu-lang-sai. 

It  is,  in  fact,  indisputable  that  these  words  do  come 
from  the  country  itself.  The  Chinese  have  always  had 
the  habit  of  designating  their  empire  after  the  reigning 
dynasty.  It  is  thus  that  in  remote  times  they  gave  it 
the  names  of  Tang,  of  Yki,  and  of  Ilia.  The  great  ex- 
ploits of  the  Emperor  of  the  dynasty  of  Han,  brought 
this  name  into  use,  and  after  that  time  the  Chinese  bore 
the  name  of  Ilan-jin,  or  Men  of  Han,  which  is  still 
common,  especially  in  the  northern  provinces. 

The  dynasty  of  Thang  having  distinguished  itself 
still  more  by  its  conquests  than  that  of  Han,  the  name 
of  T/iang-jin  was  for  several  centuries  in  use  to  desig- 
nate the  Chinese.  In -our  time  China,  being  governed 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE   CHINESE  EMPIRE.          351 

by  the  Mantchou  dynasty,  which  lias  adopted  the  title ] 

of  Thsing  "pure,"  the  Chinese  call  themselves  Thsing- 
jin,  or  men  of  Thsing,  as  they  bore  the  name  of  Ming- 
jin,  under  the  dynasty  of  Ming.  It  is  precisely  as  if 
the  French  had  taken  successively  the  names  of  Car- 
lovingians,  Capetians,  and  Napoleonians,  according  to 
the  dynasties  that  have  reigned  at  different  epochs  in 
France. 

The  name  of  China,  by  which  we  designate  this  vast 
country,  is  in  almost  general  use  in  Eastern  Asia.  We 
get  it  from  the  Malays,  who  call  this  Empire  Tchina. 
The  Malays  became  acquainted  with  the  Chinese  in  the 
second  half  of  the  third  century  before  our  era,  when 
the  famous  Emperor  Thsing-che-kouang  subjected  the 
southern  part  of  China  and  Tonquin,  and  even  carried 
his  conquests  as  far  as  Cochin  China. 

The  people  of  the  Malay  Islands,  having  direct  rela- 
tions with  these  countries,  then  met  the  Chinese,  who 
bore  at  the  time  the  name  of  Thsing,  after  the  reigning 
dynasty.  The  Malays,  not  having  precisely  the  letters 
required,  pronounced  the  word  Tchina,  adding  an  a  to 
it.  The  pilots  and  some  of  the  sailors,  who  afterward 
took  the  Portuguese  ships  into  Chinese  ports,  were  of 
Malay  origin,  and  it  was  quite  natural  that  the  Por- 
tuguese should  adopt  the  name  that  their  guides  gave  to 
China.  Thus  the  first  Europeans  called  it  Tchina,  and 
this  name  was  afterward  slightly  modified,  according  to 
the  language  of  the  various  nations  who  adopted  it. 

It  is  equally  certain  that  the  first  relations  of  the 
Chinese  with  India  .date  from  the  time  of.  the  Thsing 
dynasty.  This  name  was  changed  by  the  Hindoos 
also  into  Tchina,  for  the  same  reason  as  among  the 
Malays ;  and  they  substituted  tch  for  ths.  The  Arabs 
received  the  word  from  India,  and  wrote  it  Sin-Sina  to 
accommodate  it  to  their  language,  and  thence  probably 


352          JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

came  the  Latin  Since- -jSinenses,  used  to  designate  the 
Chinese. 

Although  the  Arab  navigators,  and  the  first  Portu- 
guese who  went  to  India,  had  adopted  the  Sanscrit  and 
Malay  name  of  Tchina  for  Southern  China,  the  northern 
part  of  this  country  not  bearing  the  same  name  among 
the  neighboring  nations,  was  also  differently  named  in 
the  West.  Under  the  dynasty  of  Han,  that  is  to  say, 
in  the  two  centuries  before  and  after  our  era,  the  Chinese 
conquered  all  Central  Asia,  as  far  as  the  banks  of  the 
Oxus  and  the  Jaxartes.  They  established  their  mili- 
tary colonies,  and  their  merchants  traversed  those  coun- 
tries to  exchange  their  merchandise  for  other  produc- 
tions from  Persia  and  the  Roman  Empire.  They  brought 
principally  silk  and  tissues  of  that  material,  which  found 
an  excellent  market  in  Persia  and  Europe.  According 
to  Greek  authors,  the  word  ser  signifies  the  silk-worm, 
and  the  inhabitants  of  jSerica  the  country  from  which 
the  silk  came.  This  fact  shows  that  the  name  of  /Seres 
denoted  the  valuable  article  of  trade  that  the  Western 
nations  obtained  from  them.  In  Armenia  the  insect 
that  produces  silk  is  called  chiram,  a  name  that  has 
some  resemblance  to  the  ser  of  the  Greeks.  It  is  natu- 
ral that  these  two  words  should  have  been  borrowed 
from  the  Eastern  nations,  and  that  is  what  the  Mongol 
and  Mantchou  languages  make  it  easy  to  demonstrate. 

We  may  infer  from  this,  that  the  names  of  silk,  among 
the  ancients  "and  moderns,  originated  in  the  eastern  part 
of  Asia.  Silk  is  called  sirk  among  the  Mongols,  and 
sirylie  by  the  Mantchous.  As  these  two  nations  in- 
habit the  north  and  northeast  of  China,  is  it  likely 
that  they  received  these  denominations  from  the  people 
of  the  West  ?  On  the  other  hand,  the  Chinese  word  see, 
winch  signifies  silk,  has  not  only  a  resemblance  to  sirk 
and  sirghe,  but  also  still  more  to  the  ser  of  the  Greeks. 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE   EMPIRE.          353 

This  analogy  will  appear  so  much  the  more  striking, 
when  we  consider  that  in  the  Chinese  language  the 
letter  r  is  not  pronounced.  The  Corean  word  for  silk 
is  identical  with  that  of  the  Greeks.  Silk  has  then, 
it  seems,  given  its  name  to  the  people  who  first  fabri- 
cated it,  and  sent  it  to  the  West ;  and  the  Seres  of  the 
Greeks  and  Romans  were  evidently  the  Chinese,*  whose 
Empire  was  formerly  separated  by  the  Oxus  from  that 
of  Persia. 

Among  the  different  names  that  the  Chinese  give  to 
their  country,  the  most  ancient  and  the  most  in  use  is 
that  of  Tchoung-kouo,  that  is  to  say,  the  Empire  of  the 
Centre.  The  Chinese  historians  relate  that  this  denom- 
ination dates  from  the  time  of  Tching-wang,  the  sec- 
ond Emperor  of  the  dynasty  of  Tcheou,  who  reigned  to- 
ward the  end  of  the  twelfth  century  before  our  era.  At 
this  epoch  China  was  divided  into  several  principalities, 
which  all  took  the  title  of  kingdoms.  Tcheou-Jcoung, 
uncle  of  the  Emperor,  gave  to  the  town  of  J^o-yang,  in 
what  is  now  the  province  of  Ho-nan,  where  the  Chinese 
monarch  resided,  the  name  of  Central  Kingdom,  be- 
cause it  was,  in  fact,  situated  in  the  midst  of  the  other 
kingdoms  of  China.  Since  that  time,  the  portion  of 
the  Empire  possessed  by  the  Emperors,  or  the  whole 
of  it,  has  borne  this  title.  Such  is  the  true  and  only 
origin  of  that  denomination,  which  has  been  preserved 
to  our  own  day ;  yet  most  of  the  European  books  that 
treat  of  China,  jest  about  this  name,  and  boldly  infer 
from  it,  that  the  Chinese  are  completely  ignorant  of 

*  "It  would  be  curious,"  says  Klaproth,  who  has  furnished  the 
greater  part  of  these  considerations  on  the  different  names  of  China, 
"  to  know  at  what  period  the  word  silk  was  introduced  into  the 
English  language.  It  appears  to  be  the  same  as  the  llussian  chclk, 
which  I  believe  to  be  derived  from  the  Mongol  sirk :  this  is  so  much 
the  more  likely  as  Russia  was  for  a  long  period  under  the  Mongol 
yoke." 


354          JOUKNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPI15K. 

geography;  wliile  it  would  be  nearer  the  truth  to  say, 
that  we  ourselves  are  ignorant  of  their  traditions.  "  I 
have  no  need,"  says  Klaproth  in  his  Memoirs,  "  to  re- 
fute the  absurd  idea  of  those  who  pretend  that  the  Chi- 
nese believe  their  country  to  be  situated  in  the  middle 
of  the  world,  and  that  it  is  for  this  reason  they  give  it 
the  name  of  the  Central  Kingdom."  A  sailor  or  a  porter 
of  Canton  might,  perhaps,  give  such  an  explanation ; 
but  it  remains  for  the  intelligence  of  the  questioner  to 
adopt  or  reject  it. 

The  Chinese  also  give  to  their  country  the  name  of 
Tehoung-hoa,  or  Flower  of  the  Centre ;  of  Tien-chao, 
the  Celestial  Empire,  or  Heaven's  Empire ;  and  of  Tien- 
Aia,  the  "Beneath  th'c  Heavens,"  or  the  world,  as  the 
Romans  called  their  dominions  Orbis. 


Of  course,  we  did  not  give  our  Mandarin  all  the 
details  into  which  we  have  been  now  entering,  or  speak 
to  him  of  the  Greeks,  the  Romans,  or  even  the  Arabs ; 
but  we  told  him  enough  to  make  him  understand  Avhy 
we  call  his  countrymen  the  Chinese,  and  not  Tchoung- 
Jcouo-jin,  or  Men  of  the  Central  Empire. 

Our  explanations  satisfied  him  completely,  arid  he 
appeared  quite  happy  to  see  that  the  word  Cliinese  was 
not  an  abusive  nickname,  as  he  had  been  at  first  inclined 
to  think. 

We  were  at  last  obliged  to  take  leave  of  this  interest- 
ing doctor,  and  it  was  not  without  regret.  Most  gladly 
would  we  have  remained  another  day,  but  the  Rites 
were  there  to  forbid  it,  and  we  could,  not  show  ourselves 
wanting  in  politeness  toward  a  man  who  had  treated 
us  with  so  much  delicate  attention. 

From  I-tou-hien  we  went  by  land  to  Song-tche-hicn, 
not  a  long  stage,  and  by  a  tolerably  agreeable  road.  We 
stopped  at  this  last  town  on  the  recommendation  of  the 
young  prefect  of  I-tou-hien.  lie  had  informed  us  that 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          355 

we  should  find  there  one  of  his  friends  filling  the  office 
of  first  magistrate,  with  whom  we  should  be  well  satis- 
fied. He  had  had  this  prefect  informed  of  our  arrival 
over  night,  and  he  must  have  written  some  wonderful 
things  concerning  us,  for  we  were  received  with  ex- 
traordinary pomp.  A  triumphal  arch  was  erected  at  the 
gate  of  the  communal  palace,  ornamented  with  hangings 
of  red  silk  and  artificial  flowers,  glittering  with  tinsel, 
and  gleaming  with  colored  lanterns.  As  soon  as  we  had 
entered  the  first  court  we  were  welcomed  by  a  noisy 
discharge  of  innumerable  fire-works,  which  the  guardians 
of  the  palace  had  been  holding  suspended  by  long  strings 
at  the  end  of  bamboo  canes.  On  the  threshold  of  the 
saloon  of  reception  stood  awaiting  us  a  worthy  old  gen- 
tleman still  vigorous,  who,  on  seeing  us,  appeared  all 
sparkling  with  joy.  This  was  the  first  magistrate,  on 
whom  so  high  a  eulogium  had  been  pronounced  at  I-tou- 
hien.  Our  presence  put  him  apparently  quite  beside 
himself  with  joy.  He  clasped  us  in  his  arms,  looked  at 
us  smilingly,  went  and  came  and  gave  orders  to  every 
body,  and  then  began  again  his  little  salutations  and 
caresses.  At  length  he  grew  more  calm,  and  we  seated 
ourselves  to  take  tea  while  awaiting  the  collation  that 
he  had  given  orders  to  serve  to  us.  It  was  rather  late, 
as  we  had  arrived  sooner  than  we  had  been  expected. 

This  respectable  magistrate  had  not  the  refinement  of 
mind  and  the  distinguished  manners  of  his  young  col- 
league at  I-tou-hien,  but  he  appeared  to  us  endowed 
with  great  penetration.  His  conversation  was  agreeable, 
and  the  absence  of  elegance  in  its  forms  was  well  com- 
pensated by  a  tone  of  frankness  and  good-humor  that 
suited  his  advanced  age  wonderfully  well.  We  learned 
from  his  sse-ye,  or  privy  counselor,  that  he  had  sprung 
from  a  poor  peasant  family,  and  that  his  youth  had  been 
spent  amidst  labor  and  privation.  He  had  passed  the 


3S6          JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMHUK. 

literary  examinations  with  so  much  applause,  that,  not- 
withstanding  the  obscurity  of  his  birth  and  his  total 
want  of  patronage,  he  had  obtained  the  degree  of  Bach- 
elor, and  subsequently,  at  Pckin,  that  of  Doctor.  After- 
ward he  had  toiled  painfully  up  the  lower  grades  of  the 
magistracy  until,  by  merit  alone,  he  had  reached  the 
office  of  prefect  of  a  town  of  the  third  order.  To  attain 
still  higher  dignities  it  would  have  been  necessary  to  go 
to  considerable  expense,  and  make  costly  presents  to 
ministers  and  persons  influential  at  court.  He  could 
not,  therefore,  pretend  to  any  higher  employment,  be- 
cause he  was  poor,  and  he  was  poor  because  he  would 
not  fleece  the  people  under  his  jurisdiction,  and  because 
he  administered  justice  gratuitously,  and  shared  his 
modest  revenue  with  the  poor  of  his  district ;  but  every 
one  loved  and  blessed  his  rule. 

As  soon  as  we  were  installed  in  the  communal  palace 
we  remarked  that  the  people  entered  freely  into  all 
parts  of  it,  invading  the  courts,  the  gardens,  the  apart- 
ments, and  even  taking  the  liberty  of  entering  the  one 
where  we  were  talking  with  the  prefect.  Master  Ting 
having  made  an  observation  that  we  did  not  like  these 
tumultuous  assemblies,  "  Let  them  come,"  said  the  pre- 
fect, smiling  and  looking  at  us  with  an  air  of  supplica- 
tion ;  "  pray  do  not  send  them  away ;  they  will  not  in- 
commode you,  they  only  want  to  see  you.  If  you  should 
find  them  troublesome,  I  need  only  make  a  sign  to  them 
and  they  will  retire  immediately." 

We  took  very  good  care  not  to  vex  this  good  magis- 
trate by  having  put  in  force  at  Song-tche-hien  the  strict 
orders  that  we  had  given  in  other  places.  On  that  day 
there  was  absolute  free  admission  for  all,  and  every  one 
was  at  liberty  to  come  and  study  as  much  as  he  pleased 
the  physiognomies  and  appearance  of  the  men  of  the 
Western  Seas.  While  the  curious  contemplated  its 


IiV  TIIKOUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          357 

with  open  mouths  and  staring  eyes,  the  good  Mandarin 
watched  them  with  great  delight,  and  we  on  our  parts 
were  greatly  pleased  to  observe  his  good-natured  face, 
and  to  be  able  to  afford  so  much  gratification  to  the 
public.  Every  thing  went  off  very  peaceably,  and  with- 
out occasioning  us  the  least  trouble. 

When  one  set  had  stared  enough  they  retired,  and 
made  room  for  others,  and  if  ever  there  occurred  the 
least  noise  or  disorder  among  them,  their  prefect  had 
but  to  say  a  word  or  make  the  slightest  gesture  of  dis- 
approbation, and  they  were  all  quiet  in  a  moment ;  his 
smallest  orders  were  obeyed  in  a  manner  at  once  re- 
spectful and  filial. 

The  Prefect  of  Song-tche-hien,  surrounded  by  his 
people,  was  the  very  image  of  a  father  in  the  midst  of 
his  children,  the  most  to  aching  realization  of  the  funda- 
mental idea  of  the  laws  and  institutions  of  China,  which 
are  always  based  on  the  principle  of  paternity,  and 
which  suppose  that  every  functionary  is  a  father  to  his 
people  and  they  as  children  with  respect  to  him.  At 
present  this  magnificent  system  is  only  a  vain  theory, 
and,  with  some  few  rare  exceptions,  it  is  never  found 
but  in  books ;  the  Mandarins  are  scarcely  any  thing- 
else  than  a  formidable  association  of  little  tyrants  and 
great  thieves,  strongly  organized  for  the  pillage  and 
oppression  of  the  people.  We  repeat,  however,  that 
this  disorder  is  not  the  necessary  consequence  of  Chi- 
nese institutions ;  it  is  not  inherent  in  the  principle  of 
the  government,  bat,  on  the  contrary,  it  is  a  flagrant 
violation  of  that  principle. 

In  reading  the  annals  of  China  we  remarked  that  un- 
der certain  dynasties  the  Mandarins  were  good  magis- ' 
trates,  occupying  themselves  paternally  with  the  inter- 
ests of  those  confided  to  their  care.     They  went  out 
often  to  visit  the  people  under  their  government ;  they 


858          JOUIIM.Y     illl;«)l  (ill   THE   CHINESE  EMPIUK. 

inquired  for  themselves  into  the  wants  of  the  poor  and 
the  sufferings  of  the  unfortunate,  in  order  the  better  to 
succor  them ;  they  traversed  the  rural  districts  to  ex- 
amine the  state  of  the  harvests,  to  encourage  the  labori- 
ous farmers,  and  reprimand  those  who  showed  negligence 
in  their  work.  If  an  inundation  or  any  other  public 
calamity  took  place,  they  hurried  to  the  spot  to  investi- 
gate the  evil  and  inquire  into  the  remedy.  On  the  first 
and  the  fifth  day  of  each  moon  they  gave  instruction  to 
the  people  who  were  eager  to  receive  it,  and  especially 
they  administered  justice  with  strict  impartiality.  Every 
oppressed  man,  every  one  whose  rights  had  been  inter- 
fered with,  might  present  himself  at  the  tribunal ;  he 
had  but  to  strike  on  a  great  cymbal,  placed  expressly 
for  that  purpose  in  the  interior  court,  and  the  Mandarin, 
as  soon  as  he  heard  the  sound,  was  obliged  to  appear 
and  listen  to  the  complainant  at  any  hour  of  the  day  or 
night. 

Now  things  are  managed  in  a  very  different  manner ; 
there  are  indeed  in  all  the  localities  places  appointed 
where  the  Mandarins  ought  to  instruct  the  people;  they 
are  called  Chan-yu-ting  or  "Hall  of  Holy  Instructions;" 
but  on  the  appointed  day  the  Mandarin  does  but  just 
walk  in,  smoke  a  pipe,  drink  a  cup  of  tea,  and  walk  out 
again.  Nobody  is  there  to  listen  to  him,  and  if  there 
were  he  would  not  trouble  himself  to  say  a  word.  In 
the  tribunals  the  "  Cymbals  of  the  Oppressed"  are  still 
to  be  seen  ;  but  the  oppressed  take  good  care  not  to 
strike  upon  them,  for  if  they  did  they  would  be  imme- 
diately fined  or  whipped. 

The  conduct  formerly  observed  by  the  Mandarins  to- 
ward the  inhabitants  of  a  district  was  only  a  repetition, 
on  a  small  scale,  of  that  of  the  Emperor  toward  his  sub- 
.^jects.  It  has  always  been  a  custom  with  the  Chinese 
sovereigns  to  publish  from  time  to  time  instructions 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIIMv          S.V.* 

to  their  subjects  on  morals,  agriculture,  and  industry. 
This  practice  dates  from  the  most  remote  times  of  the 
monarchy.  The  Emperor  of  China  is  not  only  the  su- 
preme head  of  the  state,  the  great  sacrifice!-  or  high 
priest,  and  principal  legislator  of  the  nation,  he  is  also 
the  chief  of  the  Literary  aristocracy,  and  the  first  doctor 
in  the  empire ;  he  is  not  less  bound  to  instruct  than  to 
govern  his  subjects,  or  rather  governing  and  instructing 
ought  to  be  in  his  empire  the  same  thing.  All  decrees 
are  instructions  ;  orders  are  given  under  the  form  of 
lessons,  and  bear  that  name ;  chastisements  and  pun- 
ishments are  the  complement  of  the  lesson;  the  Em- 
peror is  regarded  strictly  as  a  father  whose  duty  it  is 
to  teach  his  children,  and  who  is  compelled  sometimes 
to  chastise  them. 

The  chan-yu,  or  holy  edicts,  emanating  from  the  Im- 
perial pen  for  the  instruction  of  the  people,  are  ordered 
to  be  read  and  explained,  on  the  first  and  the  fifteenth 
day  of  every  month,  with  great  state,  and  according  to 
the  ceremonial  that  regulates  these  solemnities.  In 
every  town  or  village,  the  civil  and  military  authorities, 
attired  in  their  state  costume,  assemble  in  a  public  hall ; 
the  master  of  the  ceremonies,  a  personage  always  indis- 
pensable in  Chinese  meetings,  cries  in  a  loud  voice  to 
all  present,  to  file  off  according  to  their  rank;  and  he 
warns  every  one  not  to  fail  to  perform  before  a  tablet, 
inscribed  with  the  sacred  names  of  the  Emperor,  the 
three  genuflexions,  and  nine  knockings  of  the  head. 
This  ceremony  over,  they  pass  into  the  hall,  named 
chan-yu-ting,  where  the  people  and  the  soldiers  standing 
in  silence,  the  master  of  the  ceremonies  says,  "Begin 
with  respect."  The  magistrate,  who  has  the  office  of 
reader,  then  advances  toward  an  altar,  on  which  per- 
fumes are  placed,  kneels  down,  and  takes,  with  every 
demonstration  of  respect,  the  tablet,  on  which  is  writ  ton 


;;iiO          JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

the  maxim  t licit  has  been  chosen  for  the  explanation  of 
the  clay,  and  then  mounts  upon  the  platform. 

An  old  man  receives  the  tablet,  and  places  it  on  the 
platform  opposite  to  the  people  ;  then  commanding  si- 
lence with  a  little  wooden  instrument  in  the  form  of  a 
bell,  he  reads  the  sentence  in  a  loud  voice.  Afterward 
the  master  of  the  ceremonies  cries,  "  Explain  that  sen- 
tence of  the  Holy  Edict ;"  and  the  orator  rises,  and  ex- 
plains the  sense  of  the  maxim,  which  usually  turns  on 
some  commonplace  of  the  moral  books  of  the  Chinese. 

This  custom,  if  seriously  carried  out,  can  only  be 
laudable  and  useful,  but  as  it  is  done  now,  it  is  merely 
a  vain  ceremony.  The  case  is  the  same  with  the  cele- 
brated festival  in  which,  in  the  first  days  of  spring,  the 
Emperor  goes  with  all  his  court  into  the  country  to 
cultivate  a  field  himself,  by  way  of  encouraging  agricul- 
ture ;  and  eveiy  Mandarin  is  required  to  repeat  the 
same  ceremony  in  his  district.  It  is  indisputable  that 
these  fine  institutions  had  formerly  great  influence,  when 
they  were  seriously  carried  out  by  the  Mandarins  and 
the  people.  We  could  bring  a  crowd  of  examples, 
drawn  from  the  annals  of  China,  to  give  an  idea  of  what 
this  nation  was  in  times  past ;  but  we  prefer  leaving 
the  already  quoted  Arab  author  to  speak,  since  his  tes- 
timony will  be  less  suspected  than  that  of  a  Chinese 
writer. 

"A  man  Avho  was  a  native  of  Khorassan,  had  come 
from  Irak,  and  bought  there  a  great  quantity  of  mer- 
chandise ;  then  he  embarked  for  China.  This  man  was 
very  avaricious  and  selfish,  and  there  arose  a  dispute 
between  him  and  the  eunuch  whom  the  Emperor  had 
sent  to  Khan-fou,  the  rendezvous  of  the  Arab  merchant, 
to  choose  among  the  merchandise  newly  arrived  what- 
ever  should  be  suitable  for  him.  .  This  eunuch  was  one 
of  the  most  powerful  men  of  the  empire  ;  it  was  he  who 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          361 

kept  the  treasures  and  riches  of  the  Emperor.  The 
dispute  took  place  on  the  subject  of  an  assortment  of 
ivory  and  other  merchandise,  the  merchant  refusing  to 
yield  his  goods  at  the  price  offered  ;  the  discussion  grew 
warm,  and  at  last  the  eunuch  carried  his  audacity  so 
far  as  to  put  aside  what  was  best  among  the  merchan- 
dise, and  to  seize  upon  it  by  force,  without  troubling 
himself  at  all  about  the  claims  of  the  proprietor. 

"  The  merchant  set  off  secretly  from  Khan-fou,  and 
went  to  Khom-dan,  the  capital  of  the  empire,  two  months' 
journey  or  more,  taking  his  way  to  China,  already  men- 
tioned. 

"  The  custom  is,  that  he  who  rings  the  bell  over  the 
head  of  the  king*  should  be  conducted  immediately  ten 
days'  journey  off,  to  a  kind  of  exile.  There  he  is  kept 
in  prison  for  two  months,  and  then  the  governor  of  the 
place  sends  for  him  and  says :  '  You  have  taken  a  step, 
which,  if  your  claim  is  not  well  founded,  will  bring  on 
you  ruin  and  loss  of  life ;  the  Emperor  has  established 
for  you,  and  persons  of  your  class,  viziers  and  governors 
of  whom  you  may,  when  you  please,  ask  justice.  Know 
that  if  you  persist  in  addressing  yourself  directly  to  the 
Emperor,  and  that  your  complaints  should  not  be  found 
to  be  such  as  to  justify  such  a  step,  nothing  can  save 
you  from  death. 

"  '  It  is  good  that  every  man  who  should  be  inclined 
to  do  as  you  have  done,  should  be  deterred  from  follow- 
ing your  example.  Desist  then  from  your  claim,  and 
return  to  your  proper  business.'  When  a  man  in  such 
a  case  withdraws  his  complaint,  they  give  him  fifty 
blows  with  a  stick  and  send  him  back  to  the  country 
whence  he  came,  but  if  he  persist,  he  must  be  conducted 

*  The  Emperor  has  in  his  palace  a  bell  for  the  use  of  the  oppressed 
who  claim  his  protection,  but  it  is  now  as  much  off  duty  as  the  cymbal 
of  the  Mandarins. 

VOL.  I.— Q 


362          JOURNEY   THROUGH   THE  CHINESE   EMPIRE. 

into  the  presence  of  the  Emperor.  All  this  was  done 
with  the  Khorassanian,  but  he  persisted  in  his  com- 
plaint, and  still  asked  to  speak  to  the  Emperor.  He 
was,  therefore,  brought  back  to  the  capital,  and  taken 
before  the  Prince,  and  the  interpreter  questioned  him  as 
to  the  purpose  he  had  in  view  in  what  lie  had  done.  [ 
•  The  merchant  then  related  how  a  dispute  had  arisen  be- } 
tween  him  and  the  eunuch,  and  how  the  eunuch  had 
taken  his  goods  from  him  by  force.  The  affair,  he 
said,  had  made  a  noise  in  Khan-fou,  and  had  become 
public." 

"The  Emperor  ordered  that  the  Khorassanian  should 
be  again  put  in  prison,  but  that  he  should  be  provided 
with  every  thing  he  required  to  eat  and  drink;  at  the 
same  time  he  wrote  by  the  Vizier  and  his  agents  to 
Khan-fou,  to  desire  them  to  obtain  information  concern- 
ing the  merchant's  story,  and  endeavor  to  discover  the 
truth. 

"The  same  orders  were  given  to  the  Master  of  the 
left,  the  Master  of  the  right,  and  the  Master  of  the  cen- 
tre, the  three  persons  on  whom,  after  the  Vizier,  the 
command  of  the  army  depends;  it  is  to  them  the  Em- 
peror intrusts  the  guardianship  of  his  person,  and  when 
that  prince  goes  to  war,  or  on  similar  occasions,  each 
of  the  three  takes  the  place  that  his  title  indicates. 

"These  three  functionaries  therefore  wrote  to  their 
subordinate  officers. 

"All  the  information  they  received  tended  to  justify 
the  recital  of  the  Khorassanian,  and  letters  to  the  same 
effect  came  from  various  parts  of  the  empire.  Then 
the  sovereign  sent  for  the  eunuch,  and  as  soon  as  he 
arrived,  his  goods  were  confiscated,  and  the  Emperor 
withdrew  from  his  hands  the  treasure  that  had  been 
intrusted  to  him.  At  the  same  time  he  said,  'You 
would  well  deserve  that  I  should  put  you  to  death. 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.  363 

You  have  exposed  me  to  the  censure  of  a  man  who 
came  from  Khorassan  on  the  frontiers  of  my  empire, 
Avho  has  visited  the  country  of  the  Arabs,  after  that, 
the  countries  of  India,  and  lastly  my  states,  in  the  hope 
of  enjoying  my  benefits.  You  would  then,  that  this 
man,  in  returning  to  these  countries,  and  revisiting  the 
same  nations,  should  say,  "I  have  been  the  victim  of 
injustice  in  China,  and  they  have  stolen  my  goods."  I 
will  refrain  from  shedding  your  blood,  in  consideration 
of  your  former  services,  but  I  shall  appoint  you  to  be 
the  guardian  of  the  dead,  since  you  have  not  respected 
the  interests  of  the  living.'  By  the  order  of  the  Em- 
peror, this  eunuch  was  then  charged  to  watch  over  the 
royal  tombs,  and  to  keep  them  in  good  order." 

"One  of  the  proofs  of  the  admirable  order  that  reigned 
formerly  in  the  empire,  and  the  great  difference  there  is 
at  present,*  is  the  manner  in  which  the  judicial  decis- 
ions were  given,  the  respect  for  the  law  which  animated 
all  hearts,  and  the  anxiety  shown  by  the  government 
for  the  administration  of  justice  and  in  the  choice  of 
persons  who  had  given  sufficient  proofs  in  the  legisla- 
tion, of  sincere  zeal,  an  invincible  love  of  truth,  a  firm 
resolution  not  to  yield  what  was  right  for  the  sake  of 
persons  of  importance,  and  a  most  scrupulous  regard  to 
the  rights  of  property  of  the  weak,  which  might  fall  into 
their  hands. 

"When  the  Cadi  of  Cadis  was  to  be  appointed,  the 
government,  before  investing  him  with  the  office,  sent 
him  into  all  the  cities,  which  by  their  importance  are 
regarded  as  the  pillars  of  the  empire.  He  remained  in 
each  city  one  or  two  months,  and  made  inquiries  into 
the  state  of  the  country,  its  customs,  and  the  disposi- 
tion of  the  inhabitants.  He  inquired  after  persons  on 
whose  testimony  he  could  rely  to  such  a  degree,  that 

*  At  this  epoch  the  empire  was  in  a  state  of  revolution. 


364          JOURNEY  THROUGH   THE   CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

when  they  had  spoken,  it  was  useless  to  seek  for  more 
information.  When  this  man  had  visited  the  principal 
towns  of  the  empire,  and  that  there  remained  no  consid- 
erable place  where  he  had  riot  sojourned,  he  returned 
to  the  capital,  and  they  put  him  in  possession  of  his 
office. 

"  This  was  the  Cadi  of  Cadis,  who  chose  and  govern- 
ed his  subordinates.  His  knowledge  of  the  different 
provinces  of  the  empire,  and  of  the  persons  who  in 
each  district  were  worthy  of  being  charged  with  judicial 
functions,  whether  they  were  natives  of  the  country 
or  not,  was  a  well-grounded  knowledge,  which  made 
it  unnecessary  for  him  to  have  recourse  to  the  recom- 
mendations of  people  who,  perhaps,  might  have  had 
partialities,  and  have  replied  in  a  manner  contrary  to 
the  truth.  There  was  no  cause  to  fear  that  any  Cadi 
\vould  venture  to  write  to  his  superior  things  whose 
falsehood  he  would  immediately  have  detected,  and 
would  then  have  dismissed  his  informant. 

"Every  day  a  crier  proclaimed  at  the  door  of  the 
Cadi  these  words,  *  Is  there  any  one  who  has  any  com- 
plaint to  make,  whether  against  the  Emperor,  whose 
person  is  withdrawn  fronTTfie^sight  o?  Ins  subjects,  or 
against  any  of  his  officers,  or  agents,  or  his  subjects  in 
general  ?  For  these  things  I  stand  in  the  place  of  the 
Emperor,  in  virtue  of  the  powers  he  has  conferred  upon 
me.'  The  crier  repeated  these  words  three  times.  It 
is  an  established  principle  that  the  Emperor  does  not 
disturb  himself  from  his  occupations,  unless  some  gov- 
ernor has  been  guilty  of  evident  iniquity,  or  that  the 
supreme  magistrate  has  neglected  to  administer  justice, 
and  to  watch  over  the  persons  confided  to  his  care. 
Now  as  long  as  he  keeps  himself  from  these  two 
things — that  is  to  say,  as  long  as  the  decisions  given 
at  his  tribunals  are  conformable  to  equity,  and  that 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          365 

the  functions  of  the  magistracy  are  confided  to  persons 
who  are  friends  of  justice,  the  Empire  is  maintained 
in  the  more  satisfactory  state." — Chain  of  Chronicles, 
p.  106. 

This  last  observation  of  the  Arab  writer  is  still  ap- 
plicable to  China  at  the  present  day.  It  is  because 
the  magistracy  is  no  longer  confided  to  persons  who 
are  friends  of  justice,  that  this  empire,  once  so  flourish- 
ing and  so  well  governed,  is  sinking  rapidly  to  decay,  • 
and  advancing  toward  certain,  and  perhaps  speedy, 
destruction. 

In  seeking  for  the  causes  of  this  general  disorganiza- 
tion, of  this  corruption  that  has  obviously  penetrated 
into  every  stratum  of  Chinese  society,  and  is  working 
its  ruin,  it  seems  that  we  find  it  partly  in  a  very  im- 
portant modification  of  the  ancient  system  of  govern- 
ment, which  was  introduced  by  the  Mantchou  dynas- 
ty. It  decreed,  namely,  that  no  Mandarin  should  hold 
office  in  the  same  place  more  than  three  years ;  and 
that  no  one  should  be  appointed  in  his  own  province. 
The  motive  that  dictated  such  a  law  may  easily  be 
guessed. 

As  soon  as  the  Mantchou  Tartars  saw  themselves 
masters  of  the  empire,  they  were  terrified  at  their  small 
number ;  lost  as  they  were  in  some  measure  in  the 
midst  of  the  countless  multitude  of  Chinese,  they  must 
have  asked  themselves  what  means  they  had  of  govern- 
ing this  immense  nation,  naturally  hostile  to  a  foreign 
dominion.  » 

To  fill  all  public  offices  with  Mandarins  chosen  from 
among  the  Tartars  would  not  have  been  sufficient ;  and 
it  would  also  have  been  no  very  good  method  of  pacify- 
ing the  minds  of  a  people  so  jealous,  and  so  convinced 
of  their  own  merit.  It  was,  therefore,  decided  that 


368          JOURNEY  TIIROUGII  THE  CHINESE  EMI'IUK. 

the  vanquished  party  should  not  be  excluded  from  pub- 
lic functions ;  but  the  offices  of  the  Supreme  Courts 
of  Pekin  were  doubled,  and  divided  between  the  Tar- 
tars and  Chinese.  These  latter  had  in  great  part  the 
administration  of  the  provinces,  with  the  exception, 
however,  of  the  first  military  Mandarinates  and  the  com- 
mand of  the  fortified  places,  which  were  reserved  for  the 
Tartars. 

Notwithstanding  all  these  precautions,  it  was  still  dif- 
ficult for  the  conquering  nation  to  consolidate  its  power, 
and  it  was  in  constant  fear  of  conspiracy.  There  could 
not  but  be  among  the  high  officers  some  partisans  of  the 
fallen  dynasty ;  and  the  authority  which  they  enjoyed 
in  the  provinces  must  give  them  great  influence  in  any 
attempt  to  raise  the  people.  It  was  easy  for  them  to 
weave  plots,  and  have  an  understanding  with  those  un- 
der their  authority  to  undermine  and  finally  overthrow 
the  new  government.  It  is,  therefore,  probable  that  it 
was  with  the  view  of  paralyzing  these  attempts  at  coun- 
ter revolution,  that  it  was  determined  that  no  one  should 
be  a  Mandarin  in  his  own  country ;  and  that  no  magis- 
trate should  exercise  his  functions  more  than  three  years 
in  the  same  place. 

The  JVIantchou  dynasty  did  not  fail,  of  course,  to  color 
this  innovation  with  specious  pretexts,  relating  to  the 
public  advantage  and  its  solicitude  for  the  welfare  of  the 
people,  and  forgot  not  to  allege  that  the  magistrates  be- 
ing far  from  their  relations  and  friends,  would  be  more 
free  to  devote  themselves  entirely  to  their  functions  and 
the  interests  of  the  country. 

Such  were  the  motives  publicly  avowed  to  render  this 
alteration  in  the  institutions  of  the  empire  acceptable ; 
but  in  fact  the  object  was  to  hinder  influential  men 
from  taking  root  any  where,  and  creating  themselves 
partisans. 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          367 

The  conquerors  of  China  have  perfectly  succeeded  in 
this  object  for  the  space  of  two  hundred  years.  As  the 
great  Chinese  Mandarins  have  been  always  wandering 
from  province  to  province,  without  being  able  to  fix 
themselves  any  where,  all  concert  between  them  has 
become  impossible;  and  as  the  heads  of  parties — the 
representatives  of  Chinese  nationality,  could  never  rely 
upon  agents  whose  authority  was  but  temporary,  con- 
spiracies among  them  were  easily  crushed.  This  policy, 
judicious  perhaps  for  the  consolidation  of  a  rising  pow- 
er, could  not  fail  to  be  in  the  end  a  source  of  disorder. 
In  making  into  a  law  of  the  empire  what  ought  to  have 
been  a  mere  transitory  expedient,  the  imprudent  con- 
querors of  China  deposited  in-  the  very  root  of  their 
power  a  poisonous  germ,  that  has  developed  itself  grad- 
ually, and  borne  fatal  fruits. 

The  magistrates  and  public  functionaries,  having  only 
a  few  years  to  pass  at  the  same  post,  live  in  it  like 
strangers,  without  troubling  themselves  at  all  about  the 
wants  of  the  people  under  their  care ;  no  tie  attaches 
them  to  the  population ;  all  their  care  is  to  accumulate 
as  much  money  as  possible  wherever  they  go,  and  con- 
tinually repeat  the  operation,  till  they  can  return  to  their 
native  province  to  enjoy  a  fortune  gained  by  extortion 
in  all  the  rest.  It  is  in  vain  to  cry  out  against  their 
injustice  and  their  depredations  ;  it  matters  little  to  them 
what  is  thought  of  them,  they  are  only  birds  of  passage ; 
the  next  day  they  may  be  at  the  other  extremity  of  the 
empire,  and  mil  hear  no  more  of  the  cries  of  the  victims 
they  have  despoiled. 

The  Mandarins  have  thus  become  utterly  selfish,  and 
indifferent  to  the  public  good.  The  fundamental  prin- 
ciple of  the  Chinese  monarchy  has  been  destroyed ;  for 
the  magistrate  is  no  longer  a  father  living  in  the  midst 
of  his  children,  he  is  a  marauder  who  comes  one  knows 


JOUBNEH    TliKonm    TI1K   CIIINKSK   KMI'IHK. 

not  whence,  and  who  is  going  one  knows  not  whither. 
Thus  since  the  accession  of  the  Mantchou  Tartar  dynasty 
every  thing  in  the  empire  has  fallen  into  a  languishing 
and  expiring  condition.  You  see  no  more  of  those  great 
enterprises,  those  gigantic  works,  which  arc  indicative 
of  a  powerful  and  energetic  life  in  the  nation  that  exe- 
cutes them. 

You  find  in  the  provinces  monuments  that  must  have 
required  incredible  efforts  and  perseverance :  numerous 
canals,  lofty  towers,  superb  bridges,  grand  roads  over 
mountains,  strong  dikes  along  rivers,  etc.  But  now, 
not  only  is  nothing  of  the  kind  ever  imdertaken,  but 
even  what  has  been  done  under  former  dynasties  is  suf- 
fered to  go  to  ruin.  • 

Man,  especially  if  he  be  not  a  Christian,  can  seldom 
free  himself  from  his  selfishness ;  he  likes  to  enjoy  the 
fruits  of  his  labor  himself,  and  seldom  lays  the  founda- 
tion of  an  edifice  but  in  the  hope  of  seeing  its  comple- 
tion. "Why,"  might  one  of  these  Mandarins  of  pas- 
sage say  to  himself,  "  should  I  undertake  what  I  shall 
never  have  time  to  finish?  Why  sow,  for  another  to 
reap  the  harvest  ?"  And  with  these  views,  the  interests, 
moral  and  physical,  of  the  population,  are  entirely  aban- 
doned. There  are,  we  doubt  not,  governors  of  prov- 
inces, and  prefects  of  towns,  capable  of  effecting  useful 
reforms,  of  creating  beneficial  institutions,  and  execu- 
ting works  often  much  wanted;,  but  considering  that 
they  are  only  there  for  a  day,  they  have  not  courage  to 
put  then:  hand  to  the  work ;  egotism  and  private  inter- 
est easily  gain  the  upper  place  in  their  thoughts ;  they 
occupy  themselves  exclusively  with  their  private  affairs, 
leaving  the  interests  of  the  public  to  be  looked  after  by 
their  successors,  who  in*  their  turn  leave  it  to  those  who 
may  come  after  them. 

This  system,  supposed  to  be   established   with   the 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.  369 

object  of  withdrawing  the  Mandarins  from  private  and 
family  influence,  and  rendering  their  administration 
more  free  and  independent,  has  had  the  very  opposite 
effect.  The  functionaries  succeed  each  other  so  rapidly 
in  the  various  localities,  that  they  are  never  acquainted 
Avith  the  affairs  submitted  to  their  administration ;  and 
often  enough  they  even  find  themselves  flung  into  the 
midst  of  a  population  whose  very  language  they  do  not 
understand.  They  are  often  unacquainted  with  the 
manners  and  customs  of  the  country ;  for  it  would  be  a 
great  mistake  to  suppose  that  the  Chinese  'are  all  alike. 
The  difference  is,  perhaps,  more  strongly  marked  be- 
tween the  various  provinces  of  China,  than  between 
many  separate  kingdoms  of  Ewope.  When  the  magis- 
trates arrive  at  their  Mandarinate,  they  find,  fixed  at 
their  posts,  the  interpreters  and  subaltern  functionaries, 
who,  as  they  know  all  about  the  affairs  of  the  locality, 
can  easily  render  their  services  indispensable.  In  the 
smallest  circumstances,  the  magistrates  would  be  inca- 
pable of  acting  without  the  help  of  these  agents,  who  are, 
in  fact,  the  real  governors. 

The  papers  relating  to  all  the  lawsuits  are  in  their 
hands ;  they  alone  draw  them  up,  and  settle  beforehand 
the  tenor  of  the  judgment  to  be  given.  The  magistrate 
has  only  to  promulgate  in  public  what  they  have  ar- 
ranged in  private,  and  without  his  participation.  Now, 
all  these  immovable  factotums  are  on  the  spot ;  they 
have  with  them  their  relations  and  friends ;  and  it  is 
therefore  not  at  all  surprising  that  judicial  and  admin- 
istrative affairs  are  conducted  chiefly  through  intrigue 
and  cabal.  The  tribunals  are  full  of  these  vampires, 
incessantly  occupied  in  draining  away  the  substance  of 
the  people,  first  for  the  Mandarins,  and  then  on  their 
own  account  and  that  of  their  friends.  WTe  have  often 
been  .brought  into  relation  with  these  gentry ;  we  have 

Q* 


370          JOURNEY   THROUGH  THE  CHINESE   EMPIRE. 

seen  them  at  their  dirty  work,  and  we  can  hardly  say 
whether  the  sight  inspired  most  indignation  or  disgust. 

Thus  it  appears,  that  since  the  accession  of  the 
.Mantchou  dynasty,  Chinese  society  has  undergone  great 
alteration  for  the  worse. 

In  Europe,  people  have  strong  ideas  of  the  immo- 
bility of  this  people.  These  innovations,  introduced  by 
the  conquering  race,  are  regarded  as  customs  dating 
from  the  most  remote  antiquity,  and  necessarily  result- 
ing from  the  Chinese  character.  Who,  for  instance,  is 
not  convinced  that  this  people  has  a  natural  antipathy 
to  foreigners,  and  has  always  endeavored  to  keep  them 
away  from  its  frontiers  ?  Yet  nothing  can  be  more  in- 
correct. This  exclusive  %nd  jealous  spirit  belongs  par- 
ticularly to  the  Mantchou  Tartars ;  and  it  is  only  since 
the  commencement  of  their  rule  that  the  empire  has 
been  hermetically  sealed  to  foreigners. 

In  past  ages  the  Chinese  kept  up  constant  relations 
with  all  the  countries  of  Asia.  Arabs,  Persians,  In- 
dians traded  in  their  ports  without  any  hindrance ;  they 
even  penetrated  into  the  interior,  and  freely  traversed 
the  provinces.  That  Khorassanian,  and  that  Arab  who 
journeyed  in  peace  to  the  capital  of  the  empire  to  de- 
mand an  audience  of  the  Emperor,  are  in  themselves  a 
proof  of  this.  The  monument  of  Si-ngan-fou  (the  in- 
scription on  which  we  have  mentioned)  testifies  that 
foreign  missionaries  had  then  preached  and  practiced 
the  Christian  religion  in  all  freedom.  In  the  thirteenth 
century,  Marco  Polo  was,  with  his  father  and  his  uncle, 
very  well  received  in  China  at  two  different  epochs. 
Although  Venetians,  they  exercised  there  public  func- 
tions of  the  highest  importance,  Marco  Polo  havii^  been 
made  governor  of  a  province.  About  the  same  epoch, 
an  archbishop  existed  at  Pekin,  and  Christian  religious 
ceremonies  were  publicly  performed.  Toward  the  end 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          371 

of  the  first  Chinese  dynasty,  when  Father  Ricci  and  the 
first  Jesuit  missionaries  recommenced  their  labors,  it 
does  not  appear  that  they  had  to  contend  with  the  same 
difficulties  as  at  the  present  day ;  they  were  honorably 
received  at  court,  and  the  fir^t  Tartar  Emperors  only 
tolerated  what  they  found  already  existing. 

All  this  proves  that  the  Chinese  have  not  always 
had  such  a  great  aversion  to  foreigners  as  is  imagined. 
Many  Mandarins,  with  whom  we  have  had  occasion  to 
discuss  this  question,  and  to  whom  we  have  endeavored 
to  show  how  anti-social  and  insulting  to  other  nations 
the  Chinese  policy  was,  have  declared  to  us  that  the. 
real  Chinese  had  never  repulsed  foreigners, '  and  that  all 
the  severe  measures  taken  against  them  date  only  from 
the  commencement  of  the  present  dynasty. 

The  Mantchous,  it  is  evident,  were,  on  account  of  the 
smallness  of  their  numbers  in  the  midst  of  this  vast 
empire,  compelled  to  adopt  stringent  measures  to  pre- 
serve their  conquest.  For  fear  that  foreigners  should 
be  tempted  to  snatch  their  prey  from  them,  they  have 
carefully  closed  the  ports  of  China  against  them,  think- 
ing thus  to  secure  themselves  from  ambitious  attempts 
from  without ;  and  in  the  interior  of  the  empire  they 
have  sought  to  keep  their  enemies  divided  by  their 
system  of  rapid  and  constant  change  of  public  officers. 
These  two  methods  have  been  crowned  with  success  up 
to  the  present  time ;  and  it  is  really  an  astonishing  fact, 
and  one,  perhaps,  not  sufficiently  considered,  that  a 
mere  handful  of  nomades  should  have  been  able  to  ex- 
ercise, for  more  than  two  hundred  years,  a  peaceable 
and  absolute  dominion  over  the  vastest  empire  in  the 
world,  and  over  a  population  which,  whatever  may  be 
the  common  opinion  respecting  them,  are  really  ex- 
tremely stirring  and  fond  of  change.  A  policy,  at  the 
same  time  adroit,  supple,  and  vigorous,  could  alone  have 


372          JOURNEY   THROUGH  THE  CHINESE   EMl'lRE. 

obtained  a  similar  result ;  but  there  is  every  reason  to 
think  that  the  methods  which  once  contributed  to  estab- 
lish the  power  of  the  Mantchou  Tartars  will  ultimately 
tend  to  overthrow  it. 

These  strangers — these,  barbarians  whom  the  govern- 
ment of  Pekin  appears  to  despise  because  it  dreads 
them — will  sooner  or  later  grow  impatient  at  seeing  its 
gates  obstinately  closed  against  them ;  and  some  fine 
day  they  will  burst  them  open,  and  find  behind  them  a 
population,  countless,  it  is  true,  but  disunited,  without 
any  cohesive  force,  and  at  the  mercy  of  any  one  strong 
enough  to  seize  them,  wholly  or  in  part. 

The  venerable  Mandarin  of  Song-tche-hien,  that 
"fine  old  Chinese  gentleman,"  uttered  many  lamenta- 
tions over  the  decay  of  his  country.  "Since  the  sacred 
traditions  of  our  ancestors,"  said  he,  "have  fallen  into 
oblivion,  heaven  has  abandoned  us.  Those  who  watch 
attentively  the  march  and  the  progress  of  events,  those 
who  observe  how  great  is  the  selfishness  of  our  magis- 
trates, how  profound  the  degradation  of  the  people,  feel 
a  dark  and  mournful  presentiment.  We  are  on  the  eve 
of  an  immense  revolution — this  is  felt  by  numbers ;  but 
will  the  impulse  come  from  without  or  from  within? 
No  one  knows — no  one  can  foresee.  One  thing  is  cer- 
tain; this  dynasty  has  lost  divine  protection,  and  the 
people  have  now  only  feelings  of  contempt  and  anger  for 
those  who  govern  them.  Filial  piety  exists  no  longer 
among  us,  and  the  Empire  must  fall."* 

The  Mandarin  who  talked  in  this  way  was,  it  is  true, 
of  a  very  advanced  age,  and  consequently  we  wTere  not 
surprised  to  find  him  somewhat  inclined  to  grumbling 
and  taking  a  sombre  view  of  things.  Horace's  old  man 
is  a  cosmopolite.  The  young  and  fascinating  prefect 

*  It  is  to  be  observed  that  these  Recollections  were  written  in  1849 
from  notes  collected  during  184(5. 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          373 

• 

of  I-tou-hien  saw  the  evil,  we  doubt  not,  as  clearly  as 
his  respectable  friend  of  Song-tche-hien,  but  he  did  not 
despair,  or  think  that  the  Chinese  nation  had  arrived  at 
the  end  of  its  career.  He  remarked,  indeed,  that  all 
was  out  of  order;  there  was  not  a  wheel  in  the  state 
machine  that  did  not  grind ;  but  he  loved  the  machine, 
he  thought  it  well  and  learnedly  put  together,  and  that 
it  might  be  possible  to  make  it  do  its  work  for  cen- 
turies longer.  But  for  this  a  wise  and  skillful  mecha- 
nician was  indispensable.  Upon  this  last  point,  how- 
ever, he  was  very  reserved,  and  evidently  did  not  say 
all  that  he  thought:  his  position  as  a  high  government 
officer  demanded  great  prudence,  and  we  took  good  care 
not  to  press  him  on  a  question  of  so  much  delicacy; 
however,  he  said  enough  for  us  to  suspect  that  the  fall 
of  the  Tartar  dynasty  would  not  altogether  break  his 
heart.  He  seemed  to  think  it  quite  reasonable  and 
natural  that  the  Chinese  nation  should  be  governed  by 
a  Chinese  Emperor,  and  several  Mandarins  have  ex- 
pressed the  same  feeling  in  our  presence,  but  it  does 
not  exist  among  the  masses,  who,  as  we  said,  think  it 
very  absurd  to  occupy  yourself  gratuitously  with  polit- 
ical questions.  Such  a  feeling  may,  however,  exist  in 
a  latent  state,  and,  to  awaken  it,  there  needs  only  an 
event — an  opportunity,  such  as  has  occurred  at  several 
of  the  most  celebrated  epochs  in  the  history  of  China. 

The  Prefect  of  Song-tche-hien,  a  great  admirer  of  an- 
tiquity, studied  to  fulfill  toward  us  the  duties  of  liospi- 
tality,  in  a  manner  truly  patriarchal.  We  were  not 
merely  for  him  travelers  and  strangers,  whom  it  was 
necessary  to  take  care  of,  because  the  law  and  the  Vice- 
roy of  Sse-tchouen  had  ordered  it.  We  were  his  guests 
in  the  full  force  of  the  term,  and  not  only  his  guests, 
but  also  the  guests  of  his  friends — of  his  colleagues  in 
the  civil  and  military  administration;  the  guests,  in 


374          JOUKNEY   THROUGH   THE   CII1NKSK    K.MIMIIK. 

• 

1'uct,  of  all  the  inhabitants  of  Song-tche-hien.  We  were, 
of  course,  obliged  to  show  ourselves  sensible  to  these 
frindly  demonstrations,  and  live  in  some  measure  in 
public.  The  utmost  privacy  we  could  obtain  was  only 
just  what  was  sufficient  for  repose  and  prayer.  The 
prefect  would  leave  to  no  one  else  the  care  of  arranging 
our  departure.  He  went  himself  to  the  port  to  choose  ( 
our  boats,  and  he  hired  a  third  for  his  chief  secretary 
and  some  domestics,  who  were  to  accompany  us  as  far 
as  Kin-tcheou,  where  we  were  to  stop.  He  had  also 
shown  us  the  attention  of  sending  his  cook  on  board 
with  a  rich  assortment  of  provisions,  in  order  to  con- 
tinue his  generous  hospitality  as  long  as  he  could. 

We  quitted  Song-tche-hien  very  early  in  the  morn- 
ing. As  the  greater  part  of  the  night  had  been  spent 
in  gossiping,  we  felt  as  soon  as  we  came  on  board  that 
a  small  appendix  to  the  very  limited  portion  of  sleep 
we  had  been  permitted  to  take  would  be  very  accepta- 
ble. A  good  breeze  diffused  a  refreshing  coolness  over 
the  deck.  Our  servant  made  our  traveling  bed  under  a 
great  sail,  and  we  fell  asleep  very  comfortably,  lulled 
by  the  sound  of  the  waves  a£  they  dashed  against  the 
junk.  During  nearly  an  hour  we  enjoyed  this  delight- 
ful repose,  but  after  this  the  post  became  untenable. 
The  breeze  continuing  to  freshen,  the  vessel  acquired 
an  uneasy  jerking  motion — sometimes  to  the  right,  some- 
times to  the  left ;  and  as  the  horizontal  position  became 
extremely  difficult  to  keep,  we  rose  and  tried  how  we 
could  maintain  the  vertical  one^  The  river  already,  at 
this  part  of  Hou-pe,  is  a  league  wide,  and  presented  a. 
magnificent  aspect  to  the  eye;  but  one  not  altogether 
satisfactory  for  our  navigation,  as  the  wind  was  blowing 
with  extreme  violence,  and  the  movement  of  the  junk 
was  very  disagreeable. 

We  went  below,  and  found,  as  usual,  our  dear  Man- 


JOURNEY   THROUGH   THE   CHINESE  EMPIEE.          3*75 

darins  lying  side  by  side  on  mats,  and  smoking  their 
accursed  opium.  As  soon  as  we  appeared,  they  extin- 
guished their  little  lamps.  "  It  seems,"  said  we,  "  that 
opium  is  food  enough  for  you — no  one  appears  to  be 
thinking  of  dinner;  but  we  must  do  honor  to  the  pro- 
visions sent  us  by  the  kind  prefect  of  Song-tche-hien." 
At  these  words,  very  simple  and  natural,  we  thought, 
as  it  was  late,  and  we  had  as  yet  taken  nothing,  our 
Mandarins  looked  completely  bewildered.  No  one  an- 
swered a  word.  "When  it  is  convenient,"  said  we, 
"will  you  give  orders  to  the  servants?  It  will  not  do 
to  put  it  off  too  long,  the  wind  is  still  increasing,  the 
junk  will  soon  be  shaken  so  that  it  will  be  impossible 
to  keep  our  feet." 

Master  Ting  cast  on  us  a  compassionate  .look  ;  he 
half  opened  his  mouth,  but  no  words  came  out.  We 
saw  that  something  vexatious  had  happened,  but  we 
could  not  guess  what.  At  length,  collecting  all  his  ener- 
gies, he  burst  out  in  a  despairing  tone,  with  "What  shall 
we  do,  we  have  no  victuals  !  The  junk  that  carries  the 
prefect's  provisions  is  far  on  before  us — perhaps  we 
shall  overtake  it.  If  you  like,  we  will  amuse  ourselves 
in  the  mean  time  with  taking  tea ;  that  will  give  us 
something  to  do."  The  kind  of  recreation  that  our  in- 
genious conductor  proposed  to  us  was,  certainly,  a  very 
innocent  one ;  but  we  knew  from  long  experience,  that 
it  is  not  very  strengthening  for  the  stomach.  To  amuse 
one's  self  by  drinking  tea,  when  one  is  exceedingly  hun- 
gry, is  absolutely  to  open  a  gulf  instead  of  filling  one  up. 
We  came  up  on  deck  again,  rather  disappointed,  and 
looked  over  the  vast  surface  of  the  river,  in  hopes  of 
discovering  the  bark  that  bore  our  cook  and  his  acces- 
sories. A  large  yellow  flag,  we  were  told,  floated  at  the 
mast,  by  which  we  should  know  the  vessel.  We  looked, 
however,  in  vain.  We  saw  many  trading  junks  with 


376          JOURNEY   THROUGH   THK   CHINKS!;    K.MI'IKK. 

their  large  mat  sails,  driven  by  the  wind  and  tossed  by 
the  waves  ;  but  vainly  on  every  side  did  we  look  for  our 
provisions — there  was  nothing  for  it  but  resignation, 
nobody  was  to  blame.  The  place  had,  indeed,  been 
mentioned  where  the  other  junk  was  to  have  waited  for 
us ;  but,  very  likely,  the  violence  of  the  wind  had  not 
permitted  it  to  stop.  Probably,  we  said,  we  saw  those 
provisions  embarked  with  too  lively  a  feeling  of  satis- 
faction, and  this  disappointment  has  been  permitted  to 
give  us  a  lesson. 

We  went  below  again  to  preach  patience  and  resigna- 
tion to  our  staff ;  but  we  were  followed  by  the  master 
of  the  boat,  who,  seeing  our  distress,  had  the  kindness 
to  offer  us  a  ration  of  the  rice  that  was  boiling  in  the 
great  kettle  belonging  to  the  crew.  We  accepted  his 
offer  with  gratitude,  and  were  soon  dining  on  rice  boiled 
in  water  and  seasoned  with  salt  herbs.  This  was  of 
course  not  very  dainty  fare,  but  we  had  had  worse. 
While  we  were  performing  thus  an  instrumental  piece 
in  the  rice  bowl  with  our  little  chopsticks,  we  had  the 
wisdom  to  call  to  our  minds  the  epoch  when,  in  travers- 
ing the  deserts  of  Tartary  and  the  mountains  of  Thibet, 
we  had  no  other  food  than  some  handfuls  of  barley  flour, 
moistened  with  a  little  tea,  or  flavored  with  suet. 

"Heavens!"  said  we,  "if  we  had  every  day  found 
such  a  dinner  as  this  under  our  tent !  Fine  white  rice, 
well  boiled  and  abundant  in  quantity,  besides  a  plate 
of  salt  herbs,  and  preserved  red  pepper!  Why,  such 
a  feast  would  have  seemed  a  miracle!  How  Samdad- 
chiemba's  large  face  would  have  expanded  at  the  sight 
of  such  a  store  of  food.  What  fine  stories  he  would 
have  told  us  over  it!" 

The  recollection  of  the  incredible  repast  prepared  for 
us  in  those  days  by  our  dear  camel  driver,  was  an  ex- 
cellent seasoning,  and  gave  us  quite  an  appetite  to  our 


JOURNEY  THROUGH   THE   CHINESE  EMPIRE.  377 

present  fare.  We  did  not  dine  so  well  certainly  as 
many  persons  in  the  world,  but  assuredly  better  than  a 
number  of  unfortunate  people  who  did  not  dine  at  all. 
Our  estimate  of  our  welfare  here  below  mostly  depends 
upon  comparison.  How  many  people  live  in  constant 
suffering  and  distress,  because  they  persist  in  always 
••looking  above  instead  of  below  them ! 

Dinners  past  and  present,  however,  and  even  Tartary 
and  Thibet,  were  forgotten  not  long  afterward,  in  cares 
of  a  different  kind.  During  the  whole  morning  the  wind 
had  been  constantly  increasing,  and  toward  noon  it  came 
on  to  blow  so  violently,  that  we  had  to  take  in  nearly 
all  the  sail,  and  keep  only  what  was  just  necessary  to 
steady  the  junk.  The  river  was  like  a  great  arm  of  the 
sea  lashed  by  a  gale.  The  waves,  though  shorter  and 
lower  than  in  the  open  sea,  were  more  impetuous,  and 
dashed  furiously  against  each  other.  Our  poor  junk 
rolling  and  pitching,  at  the  same  time  groaned  and 
creaked  in  every  plank.  Sometimes  she  seemed  to  be 
lifted  high  above  the  water,  then  plunged  heavily  down 
into  the  midst  of  it.  We  were  driven  about  by  sudden 
and  violent  gusts,  occasioned  by  the  inequalities  of  the 
shore,  and  now  and  then  we  were  within  a  hair's  breadth 
of  destruction,  for  the  poor  junk,  almost  on  her  beam 
ends,  seemed,  as  she  trembled  and  shook  all  over,  to  be 
hollowing  out  a  tomb  for  herself  in  the  waters.  The 
position  was  critical;  but  the  chief  danger  arose  from 
the  want  of  solidity  in  our  vessel,  as,  like  most  of  the 
river  junks,  it  was  of  very  imperfect  construction.  The 
sailors  appeared,  nevertheless,  quite  easy,  and  we  pre- 
ferred attributing  their  calmness  to  their  experience 
rather  than  to  their  indifference. 

While  we  were  thus  driven  at  the  mercy  of  the  winds 
and  waves  (but  under  the  care  of  God),  our  Mandarins 
had  taken  refuge  in  a  narrow  cabin,  where  they  cowered 


878          JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE   CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

down  without  daring  to  move.  We  did  not  at  all  per- 
ceive on  the  faces  of  our  two  military  gentlemen  the 
haughty  dignity  that  is  proper  to  a  soldier  in  a  moment 
of  danger.  That  Master  Ting  should  want  it  was  ex- 
cusable :  his  quality  of  literary  man  gave  him  the  right 
to  be  afraid.  The  fact  was,  all  our  conductors  were 
affected  by  sea-sickness  ;  and  as  they  had  never  felt  it 
before,  nor  even  heard  it  mentioned,  they  all  thought 
they  were  going  to  die.  It  was  in  vain  we  assured 
them  it  was  a  mere  momentary  inconvenience,  occa- 
sioned by  the  motion  of  the  vessel ;  they  persisted  in  be- 
lieving it  was  all  over  with  them.  "And  you  two," 
said  Master  Ting,  with  a  faint  voice,  "  does  not  the 
vessel  move  for  you  as  well  as  for  us,  and  you  are  not 
ill?"  "Oh,  that's  a  different  case,"  said  we,  "we  don't 
smoke  opium." 

"  What !  do  you  think  it  is  the  opium  that  is  killing 
us?" 

"  Who  knows  ?  We  could  not  venture  to  say  that, 
but  it  is  certain  that  opium  is  a  poison,  and  that  by 
degrees  it  must  destroy  the  energy  of  the  constitution 
in  all  smokers."  Thereupon  Master  Ting  began  to 
curse  the  day  when  he  had  allowed  himself  to  yield  to 
the  temptation  of  this  detestable  drug,  and  promised, 
that  if  he  escaped  with  his  life  this  time,  he  would 
throw  pipe,  lamp,  and  opium  overboard.  "Why  not 
do  it  now,"  said  we,  "what's  the  use  of  waiting?" 

"  Oh,  I  am  too  ill  now,  I  have  not  strength  to  move. 
"Well,  we  are  not  at  all  ill,  we  can  see  to  this  little 
matter  for  you,"  and  we  turned  toward  the  place  where 
he  kept  his  smoking  tools :  but  Master  Ting  was  there 
before  us.  Suddenly  awakened  from  his  lethargy,  he 
had  made  but  one  bound  to  the  spot  where  his  beloved 
casket  was  placed.  The  movement  had  been  so  nimble, 
and  so  totally  unexpected,  that  his  companions  coul«l 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          379 

not  help  laughing,  though  they  were  certainly  not  at  all 
in  the  humor  for  it ;  and  leaving  him  brooding  over  his 
treasure,  we  returned  to  the  deck  to  see  how  we  were 
getting  on. 

The  water  was  less  rough,  and  the  breeze  less  vio- 
lent; and  though  there  was  scarcely  any  sail  set,  the 
junk  was  moving  swiftly  on.  "  If  this  lasts,"  said  the 
master,  "we  shall  be  soon  at  Kin-tcheou."  And  glad 
we  were  to  hear  him  say  so,  for  the  weather  looked  ugly, 
and  we  wished  very  much  to  be  in  port  again.  But 
alas !  though  the  distance  was  small,  we  were  still  far 
off  the  port. 

•  Toward  four  in  the  afternoon,  we  reached  a  point 
where  the  river  makes  a  bend  in  another  direction,  and 
instead  of  continuing  its  course  to  the  south,  turns 
abruptly  to  the  west.  At  this  point  we  met  several 
junks  that  were  tacking  to  get  through  the  difficult 
passage,  where  the  side  wind  became  a  contrary  one. 
Here  we  saw  the  two  other  boats  of  our  flotilla,  those 
containing  the  soldiers,  and  the  provisions ;  they  had 
probably  been  there  a  long  time  before  us,  but  had  not 
been  able  to  get  any  further.  We  began  now  to  per- 
form in  our  turn  the  same  manoeuvres  as  the  other 
junks,  crossing  the  river  from  one  side  to  the  other. 
But  it  was  in  vain  we  sailed  quite  close  to  the  wind,  as 
the  sailors  say,  and  that  our  junk  lay  almost  on  her 
side,  we  could  not  succeed ;  we  were  continually  driven 
back,  and  had  to  go  through  the  same  work  all  over 
again. 

For  those  who  are  quiet  on  shore  the  sight  of  such 
manoeuvres  is  very  attractive;  we  contemplate  with 
interest  every  movement  of  the  vessel,  we  follow  her 
progress  with  anxiety,  we  calculate  her  rate  of  motion, 
and  consider  what  she  will  have  to  do  under  certain 
circumstances.  When  there  are  several  vessels  engaged 


380          Jol  KNKV   TJIKOrUIl   THli   CHINESE   EMl'JUK. 

in  the  .same,  way,  we  compare  their  relative  speed  in 
sailing,  their  difference  of  build,  and  of  behavior ;  and 
there  is  mostly  some  one  in  which  AVC  are,  in  spite  of 
ourselves,  particularly  interested.  If  she  excels  the 
rest,  we  are  quite  pleased,  and  as  proud  as  if  we  had  a 
share  in  her  merit. 

But,  to  enjoy  all  this,  one  must  be  on  shore  quite 
at  one's  ease,  and  perhaps  smoking  a  pipe ;  for  those 
on  board  it  is  quite  a  different  affair,  and  not  at  all 
amusing.  The  first  and  even  the  second  time  the 
manoeuvres  have  to  be  repeated,  one  can  keep  one's 
patience  tolerably  well,  but  then  one  begins  to  get 
tired ;  and  when  the  weather  is  bad,  and  the  naviga-^ 
tion  dangerous — when  you  go  on  tacking  and  tacking, 
without  ever  advancing  a  step — you  really  are  in  dan- 
ger of  losing  your  temper ;  at  least, ,  if  you  are  so  un- 
fortunate as  not  to  be  able  always  to  resign  your- 
self to  the  will  of  God,  in  small  as  well  as  in  great 
things. 

We  had  been  more  than  an  hour  thus  tacking  about, 
without  any  one  of  the  vessels  being  able  to  pass  the 
point  in  question ;  but  at  last,  though  the  gale  had  in,- 
creased,  some  of  the  junks  did  succeed  in  doubling  the 
headland,  and  disappeared. 

We  thought  then  that  our  turn  was  coming,  but 
we  were  mistaken ;  backward  and  forward  we  went, 
always  in  'the  same  track,  until  all  at  once  a  sudden 
gust  seized  us,  and  threw  us,  not  past  the  point,  but  on 
the  opposite  shore,  which,  fortunately,  was  only  sand 
and  mud,  so  that  the  junk  was  not  broken ;  and  after 
the  crew  had  vociferated  for  a  long  time,  they  endeav- 
ored to  get  her  afloat  again.  Every  one  set  to  work, 
sailors,  Mandarins,  and  missionaries,  and  with  much 
toil,  in  the  sweat  of  our  brow,  we  got  her  out  of  the  sand, 
and  re-commenced  our  hopeless  manoeuvres.  This  time 


JOURNEY   THROUGH   THE   CHINESE  EMPIRE.  381 

we  did  not  even  get  as  far  as  before,  and  presently  the 
wind  caught  us  again,  and  flung  us  once  more  on  the 
shore  we  had  just  left. 

Prudence  now  certainly  required  that  we  should  re- 
frain for  the  present  from  making  any  new  attempt. 
We  tried  to  convince  the  master  that  he  would  run 
the  risk  of  losing  his  junk,  as  well  as  drowning  us, 
which  would  be  an  unpleasant  incident  for  botli  parties. 
Even  supposing  that  we  did  manage  to  get  round  the 
point,  should  we  be  much  better  off  with  the  foul  wind 
we  should  find  on  the  other  side  ?  We  were  of  opin- 
ion, therefore,  that  it  would  be  best  to  wait  in  patience 
for  a  more  favorable  opportunity.  The  vanity  of  our 
master,  however,  prevented  him  from  adopting  this 
prudent  resolution.  He  could  not  bear  the  idea  that 
all  the  other  junks  had  passed,  and  that  he  should  be 
the  only  one  left  behind.  He  made  a  horrible  noise  on 
board,  cursed  the  sailors,  swore  at  winds  and  waves, 
and  heaven  and  earth,  and  was  in  a  perfect  fury.  Go 
on  he  would,  or  try  to  go  on,  let  the  wind  blow  as  it 
might ;  so  away  went  the  poor  junk,  tacking  to  this  side 
and  that  again,  and  struggling  to  do  what  was  impossi- 
ble, till  we  were,  for  the  third  time,  dashed  ashore  on 
the  sands. 

The  master  was  now  at  his  wit's  end,  and,  rather 
overpowered  than  resigned,  he  gave  it  up.  It  was 
almost  dark,  too,  and  it  would  have  been  madness  to 
endeavor  to  reach  Kin-tcheou  that  night,  with  winds 
and  waves  against  us.  Instead,  therefore,  of  forcing 
back  the  boat  into  the  channel  of  the  river,  they 
plunged  her  still  farther  into  the  sand,  in  order  to 
withdraw  her  from  the  action  of  the  waves,  which  were 
dashing  'against  her  side  with  a  fury  that  threatened 
every  moment  to  break  her  to  pieces. 

When  this  operation  was  over,  the  junk  was  lashed 


382          JOURNEY   THROUGH   THE   CIIlNKfjK    KMI'IIIK. 

to  some  neighboring  trees,  by  means  of  strong  bamboo 
cables;  the  anchors  were  driven  firmly  into  the  ground; 
in  short,  all  precautions  were  used  to  prevent  her  being 
carried  away  again.  After  this  every  body  tried  to 
settle  himself  as  well  as  he  could  for  the  night.  There 
was  neither  town  nor  hamlet  near  the  spot  where  we 
had  gone  aground ;  we  could  only  perceive  a  farm  or 
ivfo  scattered  about,  where  we  could  not  hope  to  pass 
the  night  any  more  comfortably  than  in  our  own  boat. 

Our  dinner,  as  it  may  be  remembered,  had  not  been 
very  sumptuous,  but  circumstances  were  now  far  more 
unfavorable  to  us  than  they  had  been  at  dinner-time. 
We  augured,  therefore,  that  we  should  sup  much  worse, 
and  were  by  no  means  deceived  in  our  expectations. 
We  had  neither  a  great  pyramid  of  rice,  nor  salt  herbs, 
nor  red  pepper.  On  leaving  Song-tche-hien  the  crew 
had  only  provided  for  a  day's  voyage ;  they  had  not, 
indeed,  made  a  very  close  calculation,  and  had  provided 
abundantly  for  their  number,  but  they  could  not  have 
supposed  they  would  have  so  large  a  party,  or  that  our 
provisions  would  be  likely  to  fail.  There  could  not, 
therefore,  be  much  food  of  any  kind  on  board,  and  on 
inspection  of  the  rice  sack,  it  appeared  that  there  was 
not  enough  to  afford  a  meal  for  the  crew,  who,  after  the 
fatigue  and  trouble  they  had  undergone,  must  have  been 
greatly  in  need  of  it. 

These  worthy  fellows,  nevertheless,  generously  offered 
us  a  part  of  what  there  was,  but  we  could  not  think  of 
taking  it ;  the  rice  that  these  poor  people  wanted  would 
certainly  have  done  us  no  good,  if  we  had  eaten  it.  Wo 
had  made  up  our  minds,  therefore,  resignedly  to  go  to 
bed  without  supper,  when  Master  Ting  came  to  whisper 
to  us  that  there  was  a  cargo  of  pumpkins  on  board  in 
the  hold.  The  master,  on  being  interrogated,  admitted 
the  fact,  and  said,  that  as  Song-tche-hien  produced 


JOURNEY  THROUGH   THE   CHINESE  EMPIRE.          383 

enormous  pumpkins,  one  of  his  friends  had  commis- 
sioned him  to  bring  a  quantity  to  the  market  at  Kin- 
tcheou.  We  proposed  to  him  to  buy  them  all ;  the  bar- 
gain was  quickly  concluded,  and  the  cargo  passed  im- 
mediately from  the  hold  to  the  kitchen.  We  had  them 
boiled  in  large  slices  in  the  kettle  belonging  to  the 
crew,  and  then  distributed  among  the  whole  ship's  com- 
pany. So  after  all  we  got  some  supper,  taking  care  to 
add  to  our  slices  of  pumpkin  a  little  meditation  upon 
oatmeal. 

The  night  passed  without  accident.  Every  one  slept 
profoundly,  except  the  watchman  charged  to  strike  the 
hours  upon  the  tam-tam,  and  the  next  morning  at  day- 
break, the  crew  were  all  in  motion  again.  The  wind 
had  fallen  very  much,  and,  what  was  still  better,  it  had 
changed  its  direction.  We  were,  however,  a  long  time 
in  getting  afloat  again ;  for  the  junk  had  got  so  deep 
into  the  sand,  that  it  was  no  easy  matter  to  set  ner  free. 
At  last  we  got  once  more  into  the  channel  of  the  Blue 
River,  and,  with  the  wind  behind  us,  dashed  on  in  full 
sail  toward  the  port  of  Kin-tcheou.  We  were  all  on 
deck,  enjoying  the  freshness  of  the  morning,  and  the 
pleasure  of  a  smooth  and  rapid  navigation,  and  contem- 
plating the  rich  panorama  that  was  unfolded  before  our 
eyes.  All  the  faces  that  had  been  so  sad  and  gloomy 
the  evening  before,  were  now  radiant  and  saucy  enough. 
Our  Mandarins  were  once  more  convinced  of  the  value 
of  a  life,  which,  when  they  were  sea-sick,  they  were 
quite  ready  to  part  with.  Master  Ting  was  exulting  to 
find  himself  still  a  member  of  this  breathing  world,  and 
would  have  required  very  little  pressing  to  act  us  a  play. 
"Master  Ting,"  said  we,  "you  have,  you  see,  escaped 
with  your  life,  and  you  can  move  about  quite  well,  so 
you  must  not  forget  to  fulfill  your  promise :  go  and  get 
your  opium  box,  and  let  us  pitch  it  overboard."  He 


384  .MM   li.NKI     TIIU.iM.I!     1I1K    CHINKS!'.    K.MI'IKK. 

only  replied  by  cutting  a  caper,  saying  he  had  only  said 
that  in  fun ;  and  to  show  how  little  disposed  he  was  to 
throw  his  pipe  into  the  water,  he  went  down  and  began 
to  smoke  with  more  ardor  than  ever. 

In  the  midst  of  this  general  enjoyment  the  master 
alone  was  still  out  of  humor.  That  arrival  in  port  that 
we  were  all  longing  for,  was  precisely  what  he  dreaded, 
for  he  feared  to  encounter  the  raillery  of  the  other  junks. 
"How  shall  I  dare  to  show  myself?"  he  kept  repeating. 
"  I  have  lost  my  face'''  (that  is,  been  dishonored).  Vain- 
ly did  we  try  to  encourage  him :  to  all  we  could  say  he 
had  but  one  answer,  "  I  have  lost  my  face  I" 

At  last  we  reached  the  port  of  Kin-tcheou,  and  as  we 
entered,  there  arose  a  general  sensation.  All  the  junks 
got  into  motion,  shouts  were  uttered,  arms  extended, 
the  tam-tam  sounded  from  every  quarter !  Our  skipper 
could  not  stand  this :  it  was  evidently  nothing  but 
raillery  and  sarcasm.  Very  soon  our  junk  was  sur- 
rounded by  little  boats,  and  the  most  curious  of  their 
occupants  began  to  climb  on  board,  and  then  we  learned 
the  real  cause  of  these  lively  demonstrations,  which 
were  by  no  means  satirical,  but  cordially  congratulative. 
They  had  believed  us  lost.  The  greater  part  of  the 
junks  that  had  made  the  point,  which  AVC  had  endeav- 
ored in  vain  to  pass,  had  suffered  shipwreck  on  the  other 
side,  in  the  midst  of  a  tremendous  gale. 

Those  that  had  arrived  in  port  were  entirely  disman- 
tled ;  they  had  announced  that  we  were  coming,  and  as 
we  had  not  appeared,  every  body  was  persuaded  that  we 
had  been  swallowed  by  the  waves.  The  numerous  mis- 
fortunes that  they  related  to  us,  with  many  lamentable 
details,  made  us  wonder  at  and  bless  the  goodness  of 
God  toward  us.  ,  It  was  indeed  providential  that  we  had 
run  aground  three  times,  for  we  had  been  thus  prevented 
from  reaching  the  point  of  danger.  What  we  had  re- 


JOURNEY   THROUGH   THE   CHINESE   EMPIRE.          385 

garded  as  a  trial,  was  in  truth  a  blessing  of  God,  an  evi- 
dence of  his  goodness  and  mercy.  While  we  were  en- 
deavoring to  resign  ourselves  to  what  we  thought  a  dis- 
appointment, we  ought  to  have  been  returning  thanks 
for  a  signal  benefit.  In  many  events  of  life  men  com- 
mit the  same  mistake,  and  are  deceived  by  false  appear- 
ances. We  often  see  them  inconsiderately  yielding 
themselves  a  prey  to  gloom  and  sadness,  when  they' 
should  calmly  bless  the  perpetual  watchfulness  of  Prov- 
idence over  them. 

The  joy  that  we  felt-  at  having  so  wonderfully  escaped 
shipwreck  was  not,  however,  unmingled  with  grief.  Our 
two  transport  boats  that  we  had  been  so  jealous  of,  be- 
cause they  had  got  before  us,  had  been  lost ;  the  one  had 
been  wrecked  upon  the  reefs  that  border  the  shore,  the 
other  had  foundered  and  gone  down,  when  quite  near  the 
port.  Three  men  were  drowned,  two  soldiers  and  the 
Head  Secretary  of  the  prefect  of  Song-tche-hien.  The 
others  had  been  saved  by  the  mariners  of  Kin-tcheou, 
who  had  hastened  to  their  assistance  on  their  little  bam- 
boo rafts. 

After  listening  to  these  melancholy  details,  we  made 
what  haste  we  could  to  the  communal  palace,  whither 
our  poor  shipwrecked  men  had  been  taken ;  and  on  en- 
tering the  court-yard  we  saw  a  great  display  of  clothes 
spread  to  dry  in  the  sun,  hung  to  doors  and  windows, 
or  stretched  upon  cords.  Our  first  care  was  to  pay  a 
visit  to  the  proprietors  of  these  garments.  We  found 
them  lying  on  mats  in  the  great  hall,  and  wrapped  in 
coverings  that  had  been  sent  to  them  from  the  tribunal. 
When  we  entered  they  were  as  must  astonished  as  if 
they  had  seen  so  many  ghosts  appear;  no  doubt  they 
had  supposed  us  drowned,  and  by  this  time  thought  no 
more  of  us.  The  irreproachable  condition  of  our  cos- 
tume especially  seemed  to  surprise  them.  Being  dry 
VOL.  I.—R 


886          JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

from  head  to  foot,  we  did  not  look  at  all  like  men  who 
came  from  the  bottom  of  the  Blue  River;  but  a  fc.w 
words  served  to  explain  how  very  fortunate  for  us  h.-id 
been  our  vexations  of  the  preceding  evening.  We  vis- 
ited all  the  men  in  succession,  and  did  not  find  one 
dangerously  ill ;  they  were  only  much  exhausted,  and 
in  need  of  repose. 

What  troubled  them  most  was  the  loss  of  their  little 
baggage.  They  had  saved  from  the  shipwreck  nothing 
but  the  garments  that  were  drying  in  the  sun,  not  even 
their  pipes,  which  had  disappeared  in  the  tempest. 
This  loss,  however,  the  authorities  of  Kin-tcheou  had 
hastened  to  make  good,  by  sending  each  of  them  a  pipe, 
and  an  abundant  provision  of  tobacco  immediately.  A 
Chinese  can  not  remain  long  without  smoking,  moro 
especially  when  he  is  in  grief.  We  soothed  our  ship-* 
wrecked  mariners  by  promising  to  endeavor  to  come  to 
some  arrangement  with  the  Mandarin  of  the  town  by 
which  their  losses  might  be  repaired  before  leaving  Kin- 
tcheou. 

But  what  could  not  be  repaired  was  the  death  of  the 
two  soldiers,  and  of  the  secretary.  What  a  blow  it 
would  be  for  the  good  prefect  when  he  should  learn  this 
catastrophe !  The  thought  that  this  kind  old  man  would 
be  made  responsible  for  this  fatal  accident  grieved  us 
deeply.  We  knew  the  customs  of  the  Chinese,  and  that 
this  death  would  in  all  probability  be  the  cause  of  much 
persecution  to  him.  The  relations  of  the  secretary  would 
not  fail  to  profit  by  the  event,  to  demand  enormous 
damages.  We  could  fancy  we  saw  them  now,  rushing 
to  the  tribunal  with  loud  lamentations,  tearing  their 
luiir,  rending  their  garments,  and  demanding  their  rela- 
tive with  great  outcries.  It  was  evident  that  the  Prefect 
of  Song-tche-hien  was  in  no  way  guilty  of  this  misfor- 
tune; nothing  could  be  imputed  to  him,  but  no  matter. 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.  387 

The  man  had  been  in  his  service,  he  was  responsible  for 
him,  he  must  restore  him  to  his  family.  "  He  is  dead," 
you  may  say ;  "  the  victim  of  an  accident." 

"We,  his  relations,  know  nothing  about  that,"  will 
be  the  reply.  "He  was  at  your  house  yesterday;  to- 
day he  has  disappeared.  You  must  restore  him  to  us, 
you  must  answer  for  him,  life  for  life ;  or,  if  you  do  not 
wish  to  have  a  lawsuit  commenced  against  you,  and 
to  be  accused  of  homicide,  let  us  come  to  some  agree- 
ment." Such  a  circumstance  is  often  enough  to  inter- 
rupt the  career  of  a  Mandarin,  and  ruin  him  completely. 

Such  is  the  way  they  manage  these  matters  in  China, 
if  not  always,  at  least  very  often,  and  this  monstrous 
abuse  proceeds,  perhaps,  from  an  excellent  principle, 
which  is  the  safeguard  of  the  lives  of  many  men.  This 
principle  is  that  of  rigorous  responsibility  of  the  supe- 
rior for  the  inferior ;  but  at  present  the  Chinese  carry  it 
to  a  vicious  extreme,  and,  driven  by  their  insatiable 
cupidity,  they  find  means  to  pervert  even  the  best  in- 
stitutions. 

We  could  never  find  out  what  was  the  result  of  this 
affair.  We  hope,  however,  that  the  popularity  enjoyed 
by  the  Prefect  of  Song-tche-hien,  and  possibly  also  the 
integrity  of  the  Secretary's  family,  may  have  preserved 
him  from  much  harassing.  We  should  be  grieved  in- 
deed to  think  that  this  most  worthy  and  venerable  Man- 
darin should  have  fallen  into  serious  trouble  in  endeav- 
oring to  provide  for  our  comfort. 


CHAPTER    X. 

Chinese  City  in  a  State  of  Siege — Nautical  Sports  on  the  Blue  River — 
Quarrel  between  Victors  and  Vanquished — Civil  War  at  Kin-tcheon 
— Glance  at  the  military  Strength  of  the  Chinese  Empire — Discovery 
of  two  Soldiers  in  the  Residence  of  the  Missionary — Description  of 
an  extraordinary  Review  of  Troops — Policy  of  the  Mantchon  Dy- 
nasty with  respect  to  Soldiers — Chinese  Navy — Cause  of  the  Want 
of  Bravery  in  the  Chinese  during  the  last  War  with  the  English — 
Resources  of  the  Empire  for  the  Formation  of  a  good  Army  and  a 
powerful  Navy — A  Great  Reformer  needed — Departure  from  Kin- 
tcheou — Route  by  Land — Great  Heat — Journey  during  the  Night  by 
Torch  and  Lantern. 

t 

SINCE  we  had  left  the  frontiers  of  Thibet,  our  pas- 
sage through  every  Chinese  town  had  been  a  kind  of 
little  event;  the  Mandarins  and  the  people,  every  one 
we  met,  seemed  anxious  about  the  Europeans  who  had 
been  to  Lha-ssa;  they  crowded  to  see  them,  sometimes 
they  even  got  up  a  little  riot  in  their  honor,  and  were 
sometimes  so  excited  as  to  fail  in  respect  to  the  author- 
ities. Our  arrival  at  Kin-tcheou,  following  that  of  a 
number  of  shipwrecked  mariners,  could  not  but  excite 
still  more  the  curiosity  of  the  inhabitants  of  this  great 
town ;  and  the  uproarious  reception  we  had  met  with  in 
the  port  induced  us  still  more  to  expect  a  great  scjisa- 
1  ion  in  the  town.  But  we  were  quite  mistaken ;  we 
passed  unnoticed,  and  nobody  seemed  to  trouble  them- 
selves about  us.  The  reason  of  this  was,  that  Kin- 
tcheou  was  at  the  moment  the  scene  of  an  important 
event  that  left  little  room  for  curiosity  in  the  minds  of 
the  inhabitants.  The  town  was,  so  to  speak,  in  a  state 
of  siege,  in  consequence  of  a  bloody  battle  that  had 
taken  place  two  days  before,  between  the  Chinese  and 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          389 

the  Mantchou  Tartars.  When  we  entered,  all  was  calm 
and  gloomy.  We  traversed  long  streets  that  were  silent 
and  almost  deserted;  the  shops  were  closed,  or  only 
half  open,  the  few  persons  whom  we  met  hurried  along 
with  rapid  steps,  sometimes  forming  little  groups  in 
which  they  spoke  in  a  low  voice,  and  with  great  anima- 
tion. We  saw  that  all  minds  were  in  a  state  of  fer- 
mentation, every  thing  seemed  to  breathe  of  civil  war. 

This  conflict  between  the  Chinese  and  the  Tartars 
had  had  its  origin  in  some  nautical  sports.  It  is  cus- 
tomary in  China,  at  certain  seasons  of  the  year,  to  have 
junk  races,  and  for  the  towns  near  navigable  rivers,  and 
the  sea-ports,  this  is  an  occasion  of  great  rejoicing ;  the 
magistrates,  and  sometimes  the  rich  merchants  of  the 
locality,  distribute  prizes  to  the  victors  ;  and  those  who 
wish  to  enter  the  lists  organize  themselves  into  a  com- 
pany, and  appoint  a  chief.  The  junks  that  serve  for 
these  games  are  very  long  and  narrow,  so  that  there  is 
only  just  room  for  two  benches  of  rowers;  they  are 
mostly  richly  carved  and  ornamented  with  gilding  and 
designs  4  in  bright  colors.  The  prow  and  the  poop  re- 
present the  head  and  tail  of  the  Imperial  Dragon ;  they 
are  therefore  called  loung-tchouan,  that  is  to  say,  dragon 
boats.  They  are  hung  with  silks  and  tinsel,  and  along 
their  whole  length  are  displayed  numerous  streamers ; 
bright  red  pennants  float  in  the  wind :  and  on  each  side 
of  the  little  mast  that  supports  the  national  flag  are 
placed  two  men,  who  never  leave  off  striking  the  tam- 
tam, and  executing  rolls  on  the  drum,  while  the  marin- 
ers, leaning  over  their  oars,  row  on  vigorously,  and  make 
the  dragon  junk  skim  rapidly  along  the  surface  of  the 
waters. 

While  these  elegant  boats  are  contending  with  one 
another,  the  people  throng  the  quays,  the  shore,  the 
roofs  of  the  neighboring  houses,  and  the  vessels  that  are 


890          JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

lying  in  the  port.  They  animate  the  rowers  by  their 
cries  and  plaudits  ;  they  let  off  lire-works  ;  they  perform 
at  various  points  deafening  music,  in  which  the  sono- 
rous noise  of  the  tam-tam,  and  the  sharp  sound  of  a  sort 
of  clarionet  giving  perpetually  the  same  note,  predomi- 
nate over  all  the  rest.  The  Chinese  relish  this  infernal 
harmony. 

It  happens  sometimes  that  a  dragon  boat  is  upset  in 
a  moment,  and  emptied  of  its  double  line  of  rowers ;  but 
the  crowd  greets  the  incident  Avith  a  shout  of  laughter ; 
nobody  is  at  all  disturbed,  for  the  men  who  row  are 
always  good  swimmers.  You  soon  see  them  emerge 
from  beneath  the  water,  swTimming  about  in  all  direc- 
tions to  catch  their  oars  again,  and  their  rattan  helmets ; 
the  water  springs  up  beneath  their  abrupt  and  rapid 
movements,  you  might  take  them  for  a  troop  of  por- 
poises disporting  in  the  middle  of  the  waves.  When 
every  man  has  found  his  oar  and  his  hat  again,  the 
dragon  boat  is  placed  once  more  on  her  keel,  the  stream- 
ers are  put  to  rights  as  well  as  circumstances  will  per- 
mit, and  then  comes  the  grand  difficulty  of  how  to  get 
into  her  again ;  but  these  people  are  so  agile,  adroit,  and 
supple,  that  they  always  manage  it  somehow.  The 
public  has  often  the  satisfaction  of  witnessing  these 
little  accidents  on  fete  days,  for  the  boats  are  so  frail 
and  light  that  the  slightest  fault  in  the  movements  of 
the  rowers  may  capsize  them. 

These  nautical  games  last  for  several  days  together, 
and  are  continued  from  morning  till  night,  the  specta- 
tors remaining  faithfully  at  their  posts  all  the  time.  The 
ambulatory  kitchens  and  the  dealers  in  provisions  cir- 
culate through  all  parts  of  the  crowd  to  feed  this  im- 
mense multitude,  which,  under  pretext  of  having  no  reg- 
ular meal  at  home  that  day,  is  eating  and  drinking  con- 
tinually, while  rope-dancers,  jugglers,  pickpockets,  and 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          391 

thieves  of  every  species,  profit  by  the  opportunity  to 
turn  their  talents  to  account,  and  vary  the  amusements 
of  the  day.  The  official  fete  is  terminated  by  the  dis- 
tribution of  the  prizes,  and  the  rowers  wind  up  with 
merrymaking,  and  sometimes  also  with  quarreling  and 
fighting. 

This  had  taken  place  at  Kin-tcheou  a  few  days  before 
our  arrival.  As  it  is  the  most  important  garrison  town 
of  Hou-pe,  the  soldiers  and  sailors  are  there  in  great 
numbers.  During  the  celebration  of  the  last  nautical 
games,  the  Chinese  and  Mantchous  had  divided  them- 
selves into  two  camps,  and  had  long  disputed  the  prize 
for  the  dragon  boats  ;  but  the  Mantchou  Tartars  had 
at  last  gained  the  victory,  and  this  had  been  solemnly 
proclaimed  with  unaccustomed  formalities  by  the  prin- 
cipal Mandarins  of  the  garrison,  so  that  the  vanity  of 
the  Chinese  had  been  much  wounded.  Pieces  of  silk, 
jars  of  wine,  roast  and  boiled  pigs,  and  a  certain  sum 
of  money,  had  been  distributed  to  the  victors,  who  di- 
vided among  them  the  money  and  the  silk,  and  then  ar- 
ranged an  immense  banquet  for  the  consumption  of  the 
pigs  and  the  wine. 

In  these  banquets  it  is  usual  for  the  defeated  party  to 
drink  to  the  health  of  the  conquerors,  and  the  ceremony 
is  gone  through  as  it  ought  to  be  among  good  comrades  ; 
after  these  few  cups  of  wine  have  been  drunk  in  the  pre- 
scribed manner,  a  fusion  of  the  two  parties  is  effected, 
and  victors  and  vanquished  take  their  places  indiscrim- 
inately at  the  table.  On  this  occasion,  however,  the 
Chinese,  who  had  long  borne  ill  will  to  the  Tartars, 
drank  to  them  with  a  very  bad  grace ;  there  were  even, 
it  is  said,  injurious  expressions  uttered,  and  murmurs 
against  the  partiality  of  the  judges  of  the  nautical  race. 
By  degrees  a  quarrel  arose,  and  the  Tartars,  excited  by 
wine  and  the  taunts  of  the  Chinese,  thought  proper  to 


392          JOURNEY  THROUGH   THE  CIIINKSK    EMI'IIU*. 

remind  their  adversaries  that  they  were  the  masters  of 
China,  and  that  the  conquered  owed  respect  and  obedi- 
ence to  the  conquering  race.  The  battle  then  began, 
and  some  of  the  Chinese  were  soon  stretched  dead  and 
horribly  mangled  on  the  ground.  Immediately  the  agi- 
tation spread  over  the  whole  town  ;  the  Chinese  rushed 
about  tumultuously  without  knowing  very  well  where 
they  were  going,  but  uttering  frightful  cries.  Without 
having  lived  in  the  midst  of  such  a  population  as  this, 
it  is  scarcely  possible  to  conceive  the  disorder  and  con- 
fusion that  reign  in  a  Chinese  town  in  times  of  trouble. 
While  the  Chinese  were  vociferating  and  rushing 
about  the  streets  of  Kin-tcheou,  the  Tartars  had  taken 
refuge  in  their  cantonments,  called  the  Tartar  town, 
where  is  the  palace  of  the  kiang-kiun,  or  commandant 
general  of  the  military  division  of  the  province.  This 
important  post  is  always  occupied  by  a  Tartar.  The 
Mantchous  concentrated  themsc'vc.;  to  the  number,  it  is 
said,  of  20,000,  in  the  tribunal  of  their  grand  Mandarin, 
and  then  they  barricaded  all  the  gates.  The  Chinese, 
persuaded  that  they  were  afraid  of  them,  poured  into 
the  Tartar  town,  and  surrounded  the  tribunal  as  if  to 
besiege  it.  A  general  attack  commenced,  not  indeed 
with  murderous  weapons,  but  with  thousands  of  voices, 
furiously  demanding  to  have  delivered  up  to  them  a 
number  of  Mantchous  equal  to  the  Chinese  who  had 
been  killed,  in  order  that  they  might  revenge  themselves 
upon  them  by  killing  and  mutilating  them  at  discretion. 
While  they  were  making  these  demands,  which,  horri- 
ble as  they  were,  were  nevertheless  in  accordance  with 
Chinese  custom,  not  a  sound  was  heard  from  the  inte- 
rior of  the  tribunal,  not  one  of  the  besieged  was  to  be 
seen.  The  Chinese,  more  and  more  persuaded  that 
they  were  become  formidable  to  the  Tartars,  resolved  to 
break  open  the  gates.  At  the  first  attempt,  however, 


JOURNEY  THROUGH   THE   CHINESE   EMPIRE.          393 

the  gates  were  abruptly  flung  back,  and  the  Mantchous 
rushed  out,  pouring  a  hail  of  balls  and  arrows  over  the 
unarmed  multitude,  and  then  throwing  themselves  upon 
them  sword  in  hand.  The  rash  assailants  scoured  nim-^ 
bly  back  to  their  quarters,  and  hurried  into  their  houses, 
not  forgetting  to  shut  the  door ;  and  doubtless  not  prom- 
ising themselves  to  begin  again  to-morrow  ;  but  about 
thirty  Chinese  were  left  dead  upon  the  spot,  and  the 
number  of  wounded  was  very  considerable. 

On  the  two  following  days  there  was  no  new  collis- 
ion, for  every  one  prudently  remained  at  home ;  but 
the  still  and  lugubrious  aspect  the  town  presented  when 
we  entered  it,  denoted  that  the  public  mind  was  still 
a  prey  to  great  anxiety,  and  that  under  this  apparent 
calm  were  brooding  irreconcilable  antipathy  and  hatred. 
Immediately  after  the  murderous  affair  that  had  taken 
place  at  the  gates  of  the  Tartar  tribunal,  the  military 
commandant  and  the  prefect  of  the  town  had  each  sent 
off  dispatches  to  Pekin^  in  which  the  events  were  doubt- 
less represented  in  a  very  different  manner.  A  decis- 
ion was  now  expected  from  the  capital,  and  it  was  gen- 
erally supposed  that  the  Chinese  would  be  reprimanded, 
the  Mantchou  general  recalled,  but  only  to  be  sent  to  a 
better  post,  and  that  then  the  matter  would  be  allowed 
to  drop. 

It  may  be  conceived  that  in  such  circumstances,  it 
would  have  been  an  easy  thing  for  the  Chinese  of  Kin- 
tcheou  to  exterminate  this  handful  of  Mantchous.  It 
was  only  necessary  to  surround  them,  and  drive  them 
in  one  upon  another  to  suffocate  them.  -After  the  first 
charge  that  took  place  at  the  gate  of  the  tribunal,  if 
that  innumerable  multitude  had  not  run  away,  the  Man- 
tchous would  have  been  lost,  but,  as  we  have  already 
remarked,  the  Chinese  are  unorganized,  without  chiefs, 
and  therefore  without  strength  or  courage.  There  is  no 

R* 


394         JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIKK. 

one  to  communicate  an  impulse  to  the  whole  body ;  every 
one  has  to  give  it  to  himself,  and  it  consequently  has 
reference  only  to  his  private  interest,  and  never  to  that 
of  the  public. 

The  government  maintains  in  some  of  the  most  im- 
portant towns  of  each  province  of  the  Empire  a  garri- 
son composed  in  great  part  of  Mantchou  soldiers,  under 
the  command  of  a  great  military  Mandarin,  who  belongs 
also  to  this  nation.  His  power  can  not  be  controlled 
by  any  civil  functionary,  not  even  by  the  Viceroy  of  the 
province.  He  corresponds  directly  with  the  Emperor, 
and  it  is  to  him  alone  he  is  responsible  for  his  adminis- 
tration. This  body  of  troops  remains  entirely  separate 
from  the  population  in  every  toAvn  where  they  are  sta- 
tioned, and  the  quarter  they  inhabit  bears  the  name  of 
the  Tartar  town. 

With  the  exception  of  these  bands  of  Tartar  soldiers 
in  some  of  the  towns,  you  may  traverse  the  provinces 
in  every  direction  without  being  sensible  of  the  presence 
of  the  Mantchou  element  in  the  population.  You  see 
only  Chinese,  who  are  entirely  absorbed  in  the  interests 
of  commerce,  industry,  and  agriculture,  while  the  foreign 
soldiers  are  guarding  the  frontiers,  and  watching  over 
the  public  tranquillity.  The  Tartars  really  seem,  in 
fact,  less  like  a  conquering  people  than  an  auxiliary 
tribe  that  has  obtained  by  its  valor  and  its  victories  the 
privilege  of  mounting  guard  in  the  Empire.  The  ad- 
ministrative influence  has  remained  with  the  Chinese ; 
it  is  they  who  fill  the  greatest  number  of  civil  offices ; 
and  if  they  have  been  conquered  by  the  Mantchous,  they 
have  imposed  on  their  conquerors  their  language,  their 
manners,  their  civilization,  and,  in  a  great  measure,  their 
customs. 

Having  but  recently  issued  from  the  forests  and 
steppes,  where  they  led  a  nomadic  life,  maintaining 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.  395 

themselves  by  their  flocks  and  the  chase,  the  Tartars 
could  not  but  yield  to  the  influence  of  the  celebrated 
country  into  which  they  had  opened  for  themselves  a 
way,  partly  by  valor,  but  still  more  by  stratagem  and 
perfidy.  They  were  willing  to  leave  the  details  of  gov- 
ernment to  the  Chinese,  since  they  had  taste,  talent, 
and  experience  for  them ;  but  they  have  always  taken 
good  care  to  retain  in  their  own  hands  the  direction  of 
the  land  and  sea  forces.  The  administration  of  the  War 
Department  has  always  remained  exclusively  in  the 
hands  of  the  Tartars. 

It  is  impossible  to  make  even  an  approximate  calcu- 
lation of  the  strength  of  the  Chinese  army  in  ordinary 
times,  for  of  course  we  can  not  speak  of  its  actual  state, 
which  must  have  undergone  most  important  modifica- 
tions during  the  progress  of  the  present  formidable 
insurrection.  According  to  the  official  Almanac,  the 
total  number  of  troops  maintained  by  the  Emperor 
amounts  to  no  less  than  one  million  two  hundred  and 
thirty-two  thousand  Chinese,  Mantchous  or  Mongols, 
quartered  in  the  interior  of  the  Empire,  as  well  as 
thirty-one  thousand  sailors.  Such  a  figure  as  this  is  evi- 
dently too  high,  and  a  mere  calculation  of  the  Chinese 
Almanac.  We  traversed  China  in  all  directions  for 
several  years,  and  could  not  help  asking  ourselves  where 
was  this  mighty  army,  of  which  we  nowhere  saw  any 
signs  ?  China  is  doubtless  a  vast  country,  its  popula- 
tion greater  than  that  of  all  Europe  put  together ;  yet  if 
the  soldiers  were  as  numerous  as  they  are  said  to  be,  it 
would  still  be  possible  to  see  something  of  them.  Now, 
with  the  exception  of  the  towns  already  mentioned, 
where  there  are  some  organized  and  stationary  troops, 
we  never  saw  any  but  the  militia  necessary  for  the 
service  of  the  tribunals.  M.  Tembowski,  who  in  1821 
conducted  a  Russian  embassy  to  Pekin,  collected  the 


:;•..(-,          JOUKNEY   THROUGH   THE   CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

most  exact  information  possible  concerning  the  effective 
force  of  the  Chinese  army ;  and  the  total  amount  lie 
gives  is  that  of  740,900  men,  including  Chinese,  Mant- 
chous  and  Mongols.  It  is  probable  that  this  statement 
is  much  nearer  the  truth,  at  least  as  far  as  relates  to 
the  number  of  soldiers  registered  as  belonging  to  the 
army ;  but  it  by  no  means  follows  that  there  are  in 
China  actually  seven  hundred  thousand  men  on  active 
military  service.  We  believe  that  even  this  num- 
ber must  be  reduced  two  thirds,  if  we  wish  to  get  at 
the  number  of  men  who  really  follow  the  trade  of 
arms. 

We  have  ourselves  lived  long  enough  in  Tartary  to 
become  acquainted  with  what  are  called  the  Mongol 
troops ;  they  are  composed  of  nomadic  shepherds,  who 
pass  their  lives  in  keeping  their  flocks,  and  never 
trouble  themselves  about  military  exercises.  They 
have  indeed  in  their  tents  a  long  matchlock,  and  some- 
times a  bow  and  arrows,  but  they  make  use  of  them 
only  to  kill  yellow  goats  and  pheasants.  If  they  have 
a  lance,  they  never  touch  it  but  to  run  after  the  wolves 
that  make  war  upon  their  flocks  of  sheep ;  for  this 
Mongol  division  of  the  Imperial  army  consists  of  fam- 
ilies of  shepherds,  including  infirm  old  men  and  infants 
at  the  breast ;  they  are  all  counted  in,  as  every  male  is 
born  a  soldier,  and  begins  immediately  on  his  birth  to 
receive  his  pay. 

The  Chinese  troops  are  almost  as  fictitious  as  the 
Mongols.  Their  number  is  estimated  at  five  hundred 
thousand  men,  but  they  are  composed  chiefly  of  artisans 
and  laborers  living  in  the  midst  of  their  families,  and 
occupying  themselves  quite  at  their  ease  with  the  culti- 
vation of  their  fields,  or  with  working  at  their  trade, 
without  appearing  to  suspect  the  least  in  the  world  that 
they  belong  to  the  class  of  warriors.  From  time  to 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          397 

time,  they  have  to  put  on  what  passes  for  a  uniform 
when  they  are  summoned  to  a  general  review,  or  re- 
quired to  go  and  root  out  gangs  of  thieves.  But  apart 
from  these  rare  occasions,  when  also  they  can  generally 
find  a  substitute  for  a  few  sapecks,  they  are  left  in  per- 
fect tranquillity  at  home.  As,  however,  they  are  all 
counted  as  soldiers,  and  the  Emperor  has  the  right  to 
convoke  them  in  case  of  war,  they  receive  annually  a 
small  sum,  very  insufficient  though  for  them  to  live 
upon,  if  they  did  not  add  to  it  the  produce  of  their  daily 
toil. 

In  certain  localities,  regarded  as  the  strong  places 
in  the  Empire,  all  the  inhabitants  are  enrolled  in  this 
manner. 

During  the  last  year  of  our  former  abode  in  China, 
we  were  once  charged  with  the  care  of  a  little  Mission 
in  a  southern  province.  There  was  a  chapel  to  cele- 
brate the  holy  mysteries,  and  assemble  the  neophytes 
in  the  hours  of  prayer  and  religious  instruction ;  near 
the  chapel  a  small  house  with  a  garden,  the  whole  sur- 
rounded by  great  trees,  a  high  flint  wall,  and  thickets 
of  bamboo.  We  lived  in  this  retreat  with  two  Chinese, 
one  about  thirty  years  old,  the  other  nearly  twice  that 
age.  The  first  bore  the  title  of  Catechist ;  he  assisted 
us  in  the  functions  of  the  holy  ministry,  overlooked  our 
small  house-keeping,  and  instructed  the  Christian  chil- 
dren and  the  catechumens  in  the  manner  of  chanting  the 
public  prayers.  In  his  moments  of  leisure,  which  were 
not  a  few,  he  occupied  himself  with  sewing,  for  in  fact 
he  was  by  trade  a  tailor.  He  was  a  very  worthy  fel- 
low, of  gentle,  quiet  manners,  uttering  very  few  un- 
necessary words,  and  only  rather  too  fond  of  medicine 
and  medical  books.  This  mania  had  come  to  him  be- 
cause, from  seeing  himself  always  pale,  meagre  and 
miserable-looking,  he  thought  he  must  be  ill,  and  that 


398  JOUKNEY   T11KOUUII  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

he  would  like  to  doctor  himself,  and  had  consequently 
plunged  into  the  study  of  medicine. 

The  elder  Chinese  had  no  official  title  in  the  Mission ; 
but  he  looked  after  a  great  many  things  concerning  the 
cleanliness  and  good  order  of  the  chapel  and  the  presby- 
tery, and  the  digging  and  watering  of  the  garden,  where 
he  succeeded  more  or  less  in  raising  a  few  flowers  and 
vegetables.  He  was  also  our  cook,  when  there  was 
any  tiling  to  be  cooked,  and  he  had  besides  the  self- 
imposed  duty  of  holding  long  conversations  with  all 
who  came  to  our  abode,  and  his  generosity  in  offering 
tea  and  tobacco  made  him  very  popular.  He  had  formerly 
been  a  smith,  and  since  his  new  functions  were  not  very 
well  denned,  we  had  continued  to  call  him  Siao,  the  smith. 

One  day  these  two  companions  of  our  solitude  pre- 
sented themselves  in  our  chamber  with  a  certain  air  of 
solemnity,  to  ask  our  advice.  An  inspector  extraordi- 
nary had,  it  appeared,  arrived  from  Pekin,  and  there 
was  shortly  to  be  a  general  review.  What  the  old  smith 
and  the  tailor  wanted  to  know,  was  whether  they  should 
go  to  it.  "  That  must  depend  upon  yourselves,"  replied 
we ;  "if  you  think  it  will  amuse  you,  and  that  you  like 
to  go,  we  will  keep  the  house.  We  do  not  care  to  see 
the  show;  we  saw  quite  enough  of  those  things  in  the 
north  of  the  Empire." 

"We  have  never  been  there  yet,"  said  the  cateclust; 
"  we  have  always  been  able  to  get  off  easily ;  but  they 
say  the  new  inspector  is  strict  in  requiring  every  one 
to  come.  Every  body  that  does  not  will  be  put  down, 
and  then  condemned  to  500  strokes  of  the  rattan  and  a 
heavy  fine." 

We  thought  this  inspector  must  be  the  most  extraor- 
dinary man  we  had  ever  heard  of,  to  require  every  body 
to  come  and  see  his  review  under  pain  of  500  strokes  of 
the  rattan  and  a  heavy  fine. 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          399 

"Why,  if  that  be  the  case,"  said  we,  "we  must  go 
too." 

"  Our  Spiritual  Father  may  go  to  see  it  if  he  pleases, 
but  we  soldiers  of  the  Emperor  are  bound  to  be  pres- 
ent." 

"You  soldiers!"  we  exclaimed,  contemplating  our 
two  Christians  from  head  to  foot.  We  thought  we  must 
have  misunderstood  them,  and  that  they  had  said  "  sub- 
jects of  the  Emperor;"  but  not  at  all,  they  were  really 
soldiers,  and  had  been  for  a  long  time.  For  more  than 
two  years  that  we  had  known  them  we  had  never  had 
the  smallest  suspicion  of  the  fact,  though  this  does  little 
credit  to  our  sagacity;  for  when  there  had  been  any 
reviews,  exercises,  or  forced  labor,  they  had  been  in 
the  habit  of  going  away,  and  leaving  as  their  substitutes 
any  persons  they  happened  to  meet  with.  Our  catcchist 
confessed  to  me,  nevertheless,  that  he  had  never  touched 
a  gun  in  his  life,  and  that  he  should  be  afraid  to  do  so. 
He  did  not  think  he  should  have  courage  to  fire  off  a 
cracker. 

Being  now  sufficiently  enlightened  as  to  the  true  social 
position  of  these  two  functionaries  of  the  Mission,  we 
told  them  that  as  they  bore  the  title  of  soldiers  and 
received  the  pay  they  must  fulfill  the  duties,  at  least  on 
extraordinary  occasions ;  that  the  threat  of  the  rattan 
and  the  fine  was  an  unequivocal  proof  of  the  will  of  the 
Emperor  on  the  subject,  and  that,  as  Christians,  they 
were  specially  bound  to  set  a  good  example  of  obedience 
and  patriotism.  It  was  then  agreed  that  they  should 
go  where  honor  called,  and  on  our  side  we  determined 
to  be  present  at  a  display  which  promised  to  be  so  mag- 
nificent. 

The  appointed  day  having  come,  our  two  veterans 
of  the  Imperial  Army  took,  at  an  early  hour,  a  very 
solid  "breakfast,  and  emptied  a  large  jug  of  hot  wine  to 


400  JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMI'lUE. 

keep  up  their  spirits.  After  this  they  set  about  dis- 
guising themselves  as  soldiers.  This  did  not  take 
long.  They  had  but  to  substitute  for  their  little  black 
caps  a  straw  hat  of  a  conical  shape,  with  a  tuft  of 
red  silk  at  the  top,  and  to  put  on  over  their  ordinary 
clothes  a  black  tunic  with  a  broad  red  border.  This 
tunic  had,  before  and  behind,  an  escutcheon  of  white 
linen,  upon  which  was  drawn,  very  large,  the  character 
jping,  meaning  soldier.  The  precaution  was  by  no 
means  a  useless  one,  for  without  such  a  ticket  one 
might  easily  have  made  a  mistake.  This  little  tailor, 
for  instance,  with  his  pallid  face,  feeble  diminutive  body, 
and  tearful  looking  eyes,  always  modestly  cast  down, 
had  not  such  a  decidedly  martial  aspect  that  there  was 
no  mistaking  him ;  but  now  when  you  looked  either  at 
his  breast  or  his  back  there  was  the  inscription,  as  plain 
as  possible,  "this  is  a  soldier,"  and  you  knew  what  he 
was  meant  for. 

.  When  their  costume  was  quite  complete,  our  two 
heroes  took,  the  one  a  gun  and  the  other  a  bow,  and 
set  off  for  the  field  of  Mars.  The  very  moment  they 
were  gone  we  locked  our  street  door,  and  set  off  after 
them  to  see  what  was  to  be  seen. 

This  great  military  display  was  to  take  place  outside 
the  town  in  an  immense  sandy  plain,  to  which  the  war- 
riors were  already  hastening  in  little  groups,  accoutred 
in  various  ways  according  to  the  banner  they  belonged 
to;  their  arms,  which  did  not  trouble  themselves  to 
gleam  in  the  sun,  were  also  in  great  variety;  there 
were  guns,  bows,  pikes,  sabres,  pitchforks,  and  saws 
fastened  to  the  end  of  a  long  handle,  as  well  as  rattans, 
shields,  and  iron  culverins,  which  had  for  a  carriage  the 
shoulders  of  two  individuals.  In  the  midst  of  this  med- 
ley there  was,  nevertheless,  one  thing  in  which  the 
army  displayed  the  most  admirable  uniformity.  Every 


JOURNEY   THROUGH   THE   CHINESE   EMPIRE.          401 

man  without  exception  had  a  pipe  and  a  fan.  As  to 
the  umbrella,  that  did  not  seem  to  be  strictly  according 
to  regulation,  for  those  who  carried  umbrellas  also  were 
in  a  minority. 

At  one  extremity  of  the  field  there  was  raised,  on  a 
slight  elevation  of  the  ground,  a  platform  shaded  by 
an  immense  red  parasol  and  ornamented  with  banners, 
streamers,  and  some  large  lanterns  that  did  not  seem 
particularly  necessary,  as  the  sun  was  shining  in  full 
splendor;  but  perhaps  they  were  intended  to  be  sym- 
bolical, and  to  signify  to  the  soldiers  that  they  were  in 
the  presence  of  enlightened  judges. 

The  Inspector  Extraordinary  of  the  Imperial  Army, 
and  the  principal  civil  and  military  Mandarins  of  the 
town,  were  on  the  platform,  seated  in  arm-chairs  before 
little  tables  covered  with  tea  things  and  boxes  filled 
with  excellent  tobacco.  In  one  corner  was  a  seryant 
holding  a  lighted  match,  not,  however,  to  fire  cannon 
with,  but  to  light  pipes;  and  at  various  points  of  the 
field  we  saw  formidable  detached  forts  made  of  bamboo 
and  painted  paper.  The  moment  arrived  to  begin.  A 
little  culverin  that  stood  near  the  platform  was  fired  off, 
the  military  judges  covering  their  ears  with  their  hands 
to  protect  them  from  the  frightful  detonation;  then  a 
yellow  flag  was  hoisted  to  the  top  of  one  of  the  forts, 
the  tam-tams  sounded  a  furious  charge,  and  the  sol- 
diers rushed  together  pell-mell,  uttering  terrible  cries 
and  grouping  themselves  round  the  flag  of  their  com- 
pany; then  they  seemed  to  be  trying  to  get  into  some 
sort  of  order,  in  which  they  were  not  very  successful, 
and  after  that  they  had  a  mimic  fight,  and  the  melee, 
which  was  certainly  the  most  effective,  soon  followed. 
It  is  impossible  to  imagine  any  thing  more  whimsical 
and  comic  than  the  evolutions  of  the  Chinese  soldiers ; 
they  advance,  draw  back,  leap,  pirouette,  cut  capers, 


402          JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE   CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

crouch  behind  their  shields,  as  if  to  watch  the  enemy, 
then  jump  up  again,  distribute  blows  right  and  left,  and 
then  run  away  with  all  their  might,  crying  "Victory! 
victory!"  • 

One  would  really  take  them  for  an  Army  of  mounte- 
banks, every  one  of  which  was  playing  tricks  in  his  own 
fashion.  We  saw  many  soldiers  who  did  nothing  what- 
ever but  run  sometimes  to  one  side,  sometimes  to  the 
other,  probably  because  they  did  not  know  very  well 
what  to  do  else ;  and  we  could  not  get  it  out  of  our 
heads  that  our  two  Cliristian  warriors  belonged  to  this 
class. 

All  the  time  the  battle  lasted  two  officers,  placed  at 
each  extremity  of  the  platform,  were  continually  shaking 
a  standard,  and  indicating  by  the  greater  or  less  ra- 
pidity of  their  movements  the  degree  of  heat  of  the 
action.  Whenever  the  flags  stopped  the  combatants 
stopped  too,  and  then  every  one  returned  to  his  post, 
or  somewhere  near  it,  for  they  are  not  too  exact  in  these 
matters. 

After  the  grand  battle  there  were  manoeuvres  of  cer- 
tain chosen  companies,  who  appeared  tolerably  well  ex- 
ercised, though  even  their  evolutions  had  an  extremely 
whimsical  character. 

The  English  artillery  must  have  had  easy  work  with 
enemies  whose  chief  skill  consists  in  cutting  capers  and 
balancing  themselves  a  long  time  on  one  leg  in  the  man- 
ner of  the  Hindoo  penitents.  Afterward  the  fusiliers  and 
archers  went  through  their  exercise  in  a  very  creditable 
manner. 

The  Chinese  muskets  have  no  stock;  they  have 
merely  a  handle  like  a  pistol,  and  when  you  lire  you 
do  not  rest  the  weapon  against  the  shoulder ;  you  hold 
it  on  the  right  side  about  the  height  of  the  hip,  and  be- 
fore drawing  the  trigger,  which  contains  a  lighted  match, 


JOURXEY  THKOUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          408 

you  content  yourself  with  fixing  your  eyes  well  on  the 
object  you  mean  to  aim  at.  We  have  remarked  that 
this  method  was  very  successful,  which  would  go  to 
prove,  perhaps,  that  it  is  less  necessary  to  keep  your 
eye  on  the  end  of  your  weapon  than  on  the  mark  you 
wish  to  hit,  exactly  as  you  would  do  in  throwing  a 
stone. 

The  most  amusing  thing  in  the  whole  review  was  un- 
questionably the  firing  with  the  small  culverins.  We 
have  said  that  these  pieces  have  no  carriages ;  they  are 
borne  solemnly  by  two  soldiers,  having  each  an  end  of 
the  culverin  leant  on  his  left  shoulder,  and  keeping  it  in 
its  place  with  his  right  hand.  Nothing  can  be  imagined 
more  comic  than  the  faces  of  these  poor  fellows  when 
the  machine  was  to  be  fired.  They  took  pride  in  show- 
ing a  magnanimous  serenity  on  the  occasion,  and  it  was 
easy  to  see  that  they  were  making  immense  efforts  to  be 
quite  at  their  ease ;  but  the  position  was  critical,  and 
the  muscles  of  their  faces  would  take  such  unaccustomed 
forms  that  they  produced  the  most  astounding  grimaces. 
The  Imperial  Government  in  its  paternal  solicitude  for 
these  poor  human  gun-carriages,  orders  that,  before  the 
firing,  their  ears  shall  be  carefully  stuffed  with  cotton ; 
and,  although  at  considerable  distance,  it  was  easy  for 
us  to  see  that  on  this  occasion  the  injunction  had  been 
liberally  obeyed ;  but  under  these  circumstances  it  may 
be  imagined  that  it  is  not  very  easy  to  take  aim  correct- 
ly, and  the  Chinese  seldom  trouble  themselves  with  at- 
tempting it.  The  ball  goes  where  it  likes,  but  during 
these  exercises  the  artillerists  were  prudent  enough  to 
fire  with  powder  only. 

In  the  wars  in  Tartary,  or  any  other  countries  where 
there  are  camels,  it  appears  that  these  quadrupeds  are 
made  to  form  a  battery,  by  placing  the  culverins  between 
their  humps.  In  a  series  of  pictures  representing  the 


404          JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMl'IUI.. 

campaigns  of  the  Emperor  Khang-lii  in  the  country  of 
the  Oeleuts,  we  saw  many  of  these  camel  batteries ;  and 
it  may  be  supposed  from  this  specimen  of  management, 
how  much  difficulty  European  troops  are  likely  to  expe- 
rience in  a  war  Avith  the  Chinese.  The  review  ended 
with  a  general  attack  on  the  forts,  which  it  is  impossible 
for  us  to  give  an  account  of,  as  we  understood  absolutely 
nothing  of  the  proceedings.  All  we  know  is,  that  long 
and  unimaginable  evolutions  were  performed,  and  that 
at  several  periods  a  most  deafening  clamor  was  raised. 
At  length  the  banners  ceased  to  be  shaken,  the  judges 
on  the  platform  rose  shouting  "victory!"  the  whole 
army  repeated  the  acclamation  three  times,  and  one  of 
our  neighbors,  who  doubtless  understood  what  had  taken 
place,  informed  us  that  all  the  forts  without  exception 
had  been  carried  with  astonishing  intrepidity. 

We  returned  to  our  residence,  to  which  our  two 
heroes,  covered  with  dust,  sweat,  and  glory,  speedily 
followed  us.  We  questioned  them  a  good  deal  about 
the  military  exercises  they  had  been  performing  with  so 
much  success ;  but  they  could  give  us  no  very  precise 
information ;  they  could  not  even  tell  what  part  they 
had  themselves  played  in  all  this  brilliant  aftair ;  and, 
according  to  them,  two-thirds  of  the  soldiers  were  not 
better  informed  than  themselves.  They  had  merely  fol- 
lowed and  imitated  the  movements  of  a  few  select  com- 
panies. It  is  evident,  therefore,  that  a  pretty  consider- 
able reduction  may  be  made  from  the  force  of  500,000 
men  composing  what  is  called  the  Chinese  division  of 
the  army. 

The  number  of  Mantchou  troops  is  estimated  at 
60,000  men.  These  soldiers,  we  believe,  are  habitually 
under  arms,  and  are  assiduous  in  their  profession.  The 
government  watches  over  them  with  great  anxiety,  for 
the  Emperor  has  a  strong  interest  in  not  allowing  these 


JOURNEY   THROUGH  THE   CHINESE  EMPIRE.  405 

troops  to  stagnate  in  inaction ;  lie  takes  care  that  they 
shall  preserve  at  least  something  of  the  warlike  charac- 
ter to  which  they  owe  their  conquest  of  the  Empire. 
They  are  treated,  it  is  said,  with  considerable  severity, 
the  smallest  infraction  of  rules  or  neglect  of  duty  is  rig- 
orously punished,  while  the  Chinese  or  Mongol  troops 
are  left  nearly  to  do  as  they  like.  It  is  not  improbable 
that  the  reigning  dynasty  favors,  up  to  a  certain  point, 
the  ignorance  and  inactivity  of  the  Chinese  and  Mon- 
gols, in  order  to  preserve  the  relative  superiority  of  the 
Mantchous,  and  to  retain  an  easy  means  of  defense  in 
in  case  of  sedition  or  revolt.  If  the  500,000  Chinese 
soldiers  were  trained  to  the  management  of  arms  and 
military  discipline  as  well  as  the  Mantchous,  a  moment 
would  suffice  to  sweep  the  conquering  race  from  the 
Chinese  soil.* 

The  navy  of  the  Chinese  Empire  is  about  on  a  level 
with  its  land  forces ;  it  is  composed  of  about  30,000 
sailors,  distributed  over  a  considerable  number  of  war 
junks.  These  vessels,  very  high  in  the  prow  and  poop, 
of  a  rude  construction,  and  rigged  with  sails  of  bamboo 
matting,  are  very  difficult  to  manoeuvre,  and  incapable 
of  undertaking  long  voyages.  They  merely,  indeed,  run 
along  the  coasts,  and  up  and  down  the  great  rivers,  to 
chase  the  pirates,  who  appear  to  have  very  little  fear  of 
them.  The  forms  of  the  war  junks,  and  especially  of 
those  found  in  the  interior  of  the  Empire,  are  very  vari- 
ous. It  is  to  be  observed,  that,  with  some  few  excep- 
tions, the  Blue  River  has  always  been  the  principal  the- 
atre of  the  naval  battles  sustained  by  the  Chinese.  At 
the  time  when  the  Empire  was  divided  into  two,  these 
battles  were  very  numerous. 

The  names  borne  by  these  junks  seem  sometimes  in- 

*  We  did  not  think  it  right  to  alter  any  of  these  remarks,  which 
were  written  before  the  Chinese  insurrection. 


406          JOURNEY  THROUGH   THE   CHINESE  EMPIRE. 

1  ended  to  give  an  idea  of  their  form;  thus  the  Centipede 
is  the  name  of  one  with  three  rows  of  oars,  representing 
Ihe  numerous  feet  of  that  hideous  insect;  the  Hawk's 
Beak  has  the  two  extremities  equally  curved,  and  each 
provided  with  a  helm,  so  that  they  can  move  backward 
or  forward  without  going  about.  The  Four- Wheeled 
junk  lias  two  wheels  at  the  prow  and  two  at  the  stern, 
which  are  turned  by  two  men  with  a  crank.  These 
Avheeled  vessels  are  said  to  be  of  great  antiquity,  and 
there  only  needed  the  application  of  steam  power  to 
give  this  ingenious  people  ages  ago  the  discovery  of 
Fulton. 

i  The  whimsicality  of  the  paintings  with  which  they 
arc  decorated  is  another  peculiarity  of  these  junks.  An 
attempt  is  mostly  made  to  give  them  the  aspect  of 
a  fish,  a  reptile,  or  a  bird.  Generally  there  are  two 
enormous  eyes  at  the  prow,  charged,  doubtless,  with 
the  duty  of  looking  fierce  to  frighten  the  enemy.  All 
these  monstrosities,  however,  are  not  so  surprising  to 
a  stranger,  as  the  disorder  and  confusion  that  reigns  on 
board.  You  find  several  different  households  assembled 
in  them,  and  not  unfrequcntly  on  the  deck  little  houses, 
absolutely  built  of  masonry.  European  sailors  admire 
nevertheless  one  idea  in  the  construction  of  these  ves- 
sels, that  of  dividing  the  bottom  into  various  water- 
tight compartments,  so  that  a  leak  can  never  occasion 
more  than  partial  damage.  It  is,  perhaps,  because  this 
method  has  been  found  efficacious,  that  it  has  not  been 
thought  necessary  to  have  pumps  on  board. 

The  military  government  of  each  province,  placed 
like  the  civil  under  the  direction  of  the  viceroy,  has  the 
command  of  both  land  and  sea  forces.  In  general  the 
Chinese  make  very  little  difference  between  the  services, 
and  the  various  ranks  in  each  have  the  same  names. 
Tim  generals  aro  railed  ti-ton ;  they  are  sixteen  in 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          407 

number,  and  two  belong  exclusively  to  the  sea  service. 
These  superior  officers  have  each  their  head-quarters, 
where  they  assemble  the  greater  part  of  their  brigade, 
and  distribute  the  rest  in  the  various  places  under  their 
command.  There  are,  besides,  as  we  have  remarked, 
many  fortified  places  occupied  by  Tartar  troops,  and 
commanded  by  a  Tartar  kiang-kiun,  who  obeys  only 
the  Emperor.  The  admirals,  ti-tou,  and  the  vice-ad- 
mirals, tsoung-ping,  reside  habitually  on  shore,  and 
leave  the  command  to  inferior  officers.  The  ranks  of 
the  military  Mandarins  correspond  to  the  civil,  and  are 
equally  conferred  in  accordance  with  the  result  of  ex- 
aminations which  candidates  have  to  undergo,  either  in 
the  provinces  or  at  Pekin,  and  which  are  varied  with 
the  importance  of  the  degree ;  thus  there  are  Bachelors 
and  Doctors  in  War  as  well  as  Bachelors  and  Doctors 
of  Letters.  The  aspirants  to  the  military  degrees  are 
examined  on  certain  books  of  tactics,  and  also  especial- 
ly on  their  ability  to  draw  the  bow,  mount  on  horse- 
back, raise  and  throw  enormous  stones,  scale  walls, 
perform  feats  of  strength,  and  execute  a  great  number 
of  gymnastic  exercises,  invented  to  delude  and  terrify 
the  enemy.  Literature  is  nevertheless  not  entirely  ex- 
cluded from  these  examinations ;  Bachelors  of  War  are 
required  to  be  able  to  explain  the  classical  books,  and 
produce  some  little  literary  composition. 

From  what  we  have  said,  some  idea  may  be  formed 
of  the  Chinese  army.  There  do  not,  perhaps,  exist  in 
the  world  more  wretched  troops,  worse  equipped,  more 
undisciplined,  more  insensible  to  honor,  in  a  word,  more 
completely  absurcf;  they  may  be  able  to  crush  bands  of 
robbers,  or  the  hordes  of  Turkestan;  but  they  have 
proved  in  the  last  war  with  the  English  that  they  are 
quite  incapable  of  resisting  European  soldiers,  even  in 
the  proportion  of  fifty  to  one. 


.ins  .liUUNKV   THKOUdll   THE   ('II INKSK    K.MHKE. 

This  complete  nullity  of  the  Chinese  army  depends 
on  many  causes,  of  which  the  principal  are  the  long 
peace  the  Empire  has  enjoyed — a  peace  that  may  be  said 
to  have  now  lasted  for  several  centuries,  since  the  petty 
Avars  in  which  it  has  been  engaged  have  been  insuffi- 
cient to  revive  the  warlike  spirit — the  policy  of  the 
Mantchou  dynasty,  which  seeks  to  perpetuate  in  the 
Chinese  the  feebleness  that  prevents  them  from  shak- 
ing off  its  yoke — the  obstinacy  of  the  government  in 
refusing  to  admit  any  reform  in  the  tactics  and  Aveapons 
of  ancient  times  ;  and  finally,  the  discredit  that  for 
some  time  past  has  been  thrown  on  the  military  pro- 
fession. A  soldier  is,  according  to  the  Chinese  expres- 
sion, an  antisapeck  man,  that  is,  a  man  of  no  value — a 
man  whose  worth  can  not  be  represented  by  the  small- 
est coin.  A  military  Mandarin  is  nobody  by  the  side 
of  a  civil  officer,  and  can  only  act  according  to  the  im- 
pulse given  to  him  ;  he  is  the  representative  of  force — 
of  brute  matter,  a  machine  that  must -be  guided  by  the 
superior  intelligence  of  the  literary  man. 

These  causes,  however,  are  adventitious,  and  we  by 
no  means  believe  that  the  Chinese  are  radically  inca- 
pable of  making  good  soldiers.  They  are  capable,  cer- 
tainly, of  much  self-devotion  and  courage.  Their  annals 
are  as  full  of  traits  of  heroism  as  those  of  the  Greeks, 
the  Romans,  or  any  other  of  the  most  warlike  races. 
In  going  through  the  history  of  their  long  revolutions 
and  their  intestine  wars,  you  are  often  struck  witli  ad- 
miration at  seeing  whole  populations,  men,  women,  and 
even  children,  supporting  with  heroic  fortitude  all  the 
horrors  of  a  siege,  and  defending  the  w*alls  of  their  cities 
to  the  last  extremity.  How  often  have  the  recitals  of 
these  grand  struggles  brought  us  back  to  modern  times, 
reminding  us  of  the  sublime  defense  of  Saragossa,  and 
of  the  famous  Russian  who  had  the  stern  and  terrible 


JOURNEY   THROUGH   THE   CHINESE    EMPIRE.  40'J 

courage  to  reduce  Moscow  to  ashes  to  save  his  country. 
In  the  first  period  of  the  Mantchou  dynasty  the  Chinese 
had  the  patriotism  and  resolution  to  lay  waste  their 
own  coasts  as  far  as  twenty  leagues  up  the  country, 
and  destroy  villages  and  cities,  Iburn  woods  and  corn 
fields ;  in  fact,  to  create  an  immense  desert,  in  order  to 
annihilate  the  power  of  a  formidable  pirate,  who  for  a 
long  time  had  held  in  check  the  whole  strength  of  the* 
Empire. 

There  has  been  much  joking  about  the  manner  in 
which  the  Chinese  soldiers  behaved  before  the  English 
troops.  After  firing  their  pieces  once,  they  threw  them 
down,  and  fled  as  a  flock  of  sheep  might  do  if  a  bomb 
should  burst  in  the  midst  of  them ;  and  it  was  thence 
inferred  that  the  Chinese  were  men  essentially  cowardly, 
deficient  in  energy,  and  incapable  of  fighting;  but  this 
judgment  appears  to  us  over  hasty.  In  these  circum- 
stances the  Chinese  soldiers  simply  showed  their  good 
sense.  The  means  of  destruction  employed  by  the  two 
parties  were  so  entirely  disproportioned,  that  there  could 
be  no  room  for  the  display  of  valor.  On  one  side  ar- 
rows and  matchlocks,  on  the  other  good  muskets,  and 
cannon  loaded  with  grape.  When  a  maritime  town  was 
to  be  destroyed,  it  was  the  simplest  thing  in  the  world. 
An  English  frigate  had  only  to  heave-to  at  the  proper 
distance,  and  then,  while  the  officers,  seated  quietly  at 
dinner  on  the  poop-deck,  manoeuvred  the  Champagne  and 
Madeira,  the  sailors  methodically  bombarded  the  town, 
which,  with  its  wretched  cannon  could  only  send  a  few 
balls  about  half  way  to  the  enemy's  vessel,  while  their 
houses  and  public  buildings  came  tumbling  down  on  all 
sides  as  if  struck  by  lightning.  The  English  artillery 
was  for  these  poor  people  so  terrible,  so  supernatural  a 
thing,  that  they  at  last  believed  they  had  to  do  with 
beings  more  than  mortal.  How  could  they  be  expected 
VOL.  L— S 


410  JOURNEY   THROUGH    THE   CHINESE    EMPIRE. 

to  be  brave  in  so  unequal  a  contest  ?  An  enemy  whom 
they  had  no  means  of  reaching,  was  blazing  away  at 
them  quite  at  his  ease ;  what  could  they  do  but  run 
away?  They  did  so,  and  in  our  opinion  they  showed 
their  wisdom  in  so  doing.  The  government  alone  was  to 
blame,  for  driving  thousands  of  men  almost  unarmed  and 
defenseless  to  a  certain  and  useless  death.  The  English 
troops  are  assuredly  very  brave,  but  if  ever,  which  God 
forbid,  they  should  have  to  defend  their  country  against 
a  European  army  with  nothing  better  than  bows  and  ar- 
rows, and  matchlocks  taken  from  the  Chinese,  they 
would  soon,  we  are  convinced,  find  some  of  their  valor 
oozing  away. 

It  may  be  that  it  would  be  possible  to  find  in  China 

Jail  the  elements  necessary  for  organizing  the  most  for- 
midable army  in  the  world.  The  Chinese  are  intelligent, 
ingenious,  and  docile.  They  comprehend  rapidly  what- 
ever they  are  taught,  and  retain  it  in  their  memory. 
They  are  persevering,  and  astonishingly  active  when 
they  choose  to  exert  themselves,  respectful  to  authority, 
submissive  and  obedient,  and  they  would  easily  accom- 
modate themselves  to  all  the  exigencies  of  the  severest 
discipline. 

The  Chinese  possess  also  a  quality  most  precious  in 
soldiers,  and  which  can  scarcely  be  found  as  well  devel- 
oped among  any  other  people,  namely  an  incomparable 
/  facility  at  supporting  privations  of  every  kind. 

We  have  often  been  astonished  to  see  how  they  will 
bear  hunger,  thirst,  heat,  cold,  the  difficulties  and  fa- 
tigues of  a  long  march,  as  if  it  were  mere  play.  Thus, 
both  morally  and  physically,  they  seem  capable  of  meet- 
ing every  demand ;  and  with  respect  to  numbers  they 
might  be  enrolled  by  millions. 

The  equipment  of  this  immense  army  would  also  be 
no  very  hard  matter.  There  would  be  no  occasion  to 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          41 1 

have  recourse  to  foreign  nations.  Their  own  country- 
would  furnish  in  abundance  all  the  material  that  could 
be  desired,  as  well  as  workmen  without  number,  quick 
at  comprehending  any  new  invention. 

China  would  present  also  inexhaustible  resources  for 
a  navy.  Without  speaking  of  the  vast  extent  of  her 
coasts,  along  which  the  numerous  population  pass  the 
greater  part  of  their  lives  on  the  sea,  the  great  rivers 
and  immense  lakes  in  the  interior,  always  covered  with 
fishing  and  trading  junks,  might  furnish  multitudes  of 
men,  habituated  from  their  infancy  to  navigation,  nimble, 
experienced,  and  capable  of  becoming  excellent  sailors 
for  long  expeditions.  The  officers  of  our  ships  of  war 
that  have  visited  the  Chinese  seas  have  often  been  aston- 
ished to  meet,  far  away  from  any  coast,  their  fishermen 
braving  the  tempests,  and  guiding  their  miserable  vessels 
in  safety  over  enormous  waves  that  threatened  every 
moment  to  swallow  them.  The  Chinese  would  very  soon 
be  able  to  build  vessels  on  the  model  of  those  of  Europe, 
and  a  few  years  would  enable  them  to  put  to  sea  with 
such  a  fleet  as  has  never  been  seen. 

No  doubt  the  reader  will  think  the  notion  of  this  im- 
mense army,  this  avalanche  of  men  descending  from  the 
high  table-land  of  Asia,  as  in  the  time  of  Tchinggis 
Khan,  these  innumerable  Chinese  vessels  plowing  all 
seas,  and  coming  even  to  blockade  our  ports,  an  ex- 
ceedingly fantastic  one,  and  we  ourselves  are  certainly 
far  from  thinking  it  likely  to  be  realized.  But  when 
you  become  thoroughly  acquainted  with  this  empire  of 
300  millions  of  inhabitants,  when  you  know  what  are 
the  resources  in  soil  and  population  of  these  rich  and 
fertile  countries,  you  can  not  but  ask  what  should  prevent 
such  a  nation  from  exercising  great  influence  over  the 
affairs  of  the  human  race.  What  it  wants  is  a  man  of 
genius,  a  man  truly  great,  capable  of  assimilating  the 


41^          JOURNEY   THROUGH   THE   CHINESE   EMPIRE. 

power  and  vitality  of  this  nation,  more  populous  than 
all  Europe,  and  which  counts  more  than  thirty  centuries 
of  civilization.  Should  an  Emperor  arise  among  them 
possessed  of  a  great  intellect,  a  will  of  iron,  a  reformer 
determined  to  come  at  once  to  a  rupture  with  the  ancient 
traditions,  and  initiate  his  people  into  the  progressive 
civilization  of  the  West,  we  believe  that  the  work  of 
regeneration  would  proceed  with  rapid  strides,  and  that 
perhaps  those  Chinese  who  now  appear  such  a  very 
ridiculous  people,  might  be  thought  of  somewhat  more 
seriously,  and  might  even  occasion  mortal  uneasiness  to 
those  who  covet  so  eagerly  the  spoils  of  the  ancient 
nations  of  Asia. 

The  young  Mantchou  prince  who  in  1850  ascended 
the  Imperial  throne,  will  probably  not  be  the  great  and 
powerful  reformer  of  whom  we  have  spoken.  He  com- 
menced his  reign  by  degrading  and  putting  to  death  the 
statesmen  who,  during  that  of  his  predecessor,  had  seen 
themselves  compelled,  under  the  English  cannon,  to 
make  some  concessions  to  the  Europeans.  The  high 
dignitaries  who  form  his  council  have  been  chosen  among 
the  most  obstinate  partisans  of  the  old  regime,  and  the 
ancient  traditions ;  and  in  place  of  the  tolerant  senti- 
ments manifested  by  those  who  opened  the  five  ports, 
have  come  all  the  old  traditional  antipathies.  Every 
device  has  been  tried  to  elude  the  obligation  of  treaties ; 
under  the  influence  of  the  new  policy,  the  relations  be- 
tween the  Consuls  and  the  Mandarins  have  become,  em- 
bittered, and  the  concessions  of  the  late  Emperor  almost 
illusory. 

It  is  evident  to  the  least  clear-sighted,  that  the  object 
of  the  Mantchou  government  is  to  disgust  Europeans, 
and  break  off  all  intercourse  with  them  ;  it  would  gladly 
have  nothing  to  do  with  them  at  any  price.  China  has, 
however,  now  been  brought  too  near  to  Europe  for  it  to 


JOURNEY   THROUGH   THE   CHINESE  EMPIRE.          413 

be  permitted  any  longer  to  lead  this  isolated  life  in  the 
midst  of  the  world ;  and  if  the  Tartar  dynasty  does  not 
itself  take  the  initiative  in  a  change  of  policy,  it  will  be 
forced  to  it,  sooner  or  later,  by  its  contact  with  the 
Western  nations,  or  perhaps  by  the  insurrection  that 
has  broken  out  in  the  southern  provinces,  and  which,  as 
it  has  been  making  the  most  rapid  progress,  may  any 
day  become  a  social  revolution,  and  produce  a  complete 
change  in  the  aspect  of  affairs  throughout  the  Empire. 
Our  sojourn  in  the  town  of  Kin-tcheou,  after  the  riots 
originating  in  the  nautical  games,  proved  to  us  that 
the  Mantchous  are  any  thing  but  popular,  and  that  the 
Chinese  would  ask  nothing  better  than  an  opportunity 
of  shaking  them  off. 

We  stopped  two  days  at  Kin-tcheou,  to  afford  our 
shipwrecked  men  time  for  rest,  and  for  restoring,  as 
well  as  they  could,  their  lost  equipments.  With  the 
authorities  of  the  town  we  had  only  the  most  indispens- 
able intercourse.  As  their  attention  was  entirely  occu- 
pied by  the  serious  events  that  had  taken  place,  we  did 
not  wish  to  disturb  them ;  but  we  succeeded  in  induc- 
ing them  to  indemnify  the  people  of  our  escort,  who  had 
lost  their  baggage  in  the  Blue  River  ;  and  they  did  so 
with  such  unexpected  generosity,  that  the  men  found 
themselves  richer  than  they  had  been  before. 

Our  last  voyage  had  been  so  unfortunate  that  no  one 
had  the  least  wish  to  make  another  attempt  of  the  kind ; 
even  Master  Ting  himself  thought  it  prudent  to  restrain 
his  accumulative  ardor;  he  seemed  to  doubt  whether 
the  profits  he  should  realize  would  compensate  him  for 
the  two-fold  danger  of  drowning  and  sea-sickness,  and 
to  consider  that  small  and  sure  gains  on  dry  land  were, 
on  the  whole,  a  better  thing.  The  Mandarins  of  Kin- 
tcheou,  also,  would  have  scarcely  been  willing  we 
should  embark,  for  fear  of  falling  into  the  same  trouble 


411  .loriiNKV    TllKonii!    T!IK    CIIINKSK    KMI'IUK. 

as  the  1'rcf'cct  of  Song-tcholiirn.  \Ve  ourselves,  thougli 
we  had  found  traveling  "by  water  rather  less  fatiguing 
than  by  land,  were  persuaded  that  the  dangers  and  in- 
conveniences were  pretty  equally  balanced.  We  agreed 
to  continue  our  journey,  either  in  a  boat  or  a  palanquin, 
as  Master  Ting  thought  proper,  and  the  final  decision 
was  for  the  palanquin. 

AVe  left  the  town  of  Kin-tcheou  in  much  the  same 
state  as  we  had  found  it  on  our  arrival :  its  commercial 
movement  was  not  yet  restored  ;  the  shops-  remained 
half  closed,  and  the  small  number  of  inhabitants  we  met 
in  the  streets  looked  full  of  distress  and  discontent. 
This  sullen  and  gloomy  expression  did  not,  however, 
extend  beyond  the  limits  of  the  town.  Outside  the 
Avails  we  found  the  Chinese  as  gay,  alert,  and  busy  as 
usual ;  in  the  country  every  one  was  going  about  his 
work,  seeming  to  care  very  little  about  the  quarrel  of 
the  nautical  games,  and  all  nature  looked  smiling  and 
gracious,  as  if  to  make  us  forget  the  sad  and  anxious 
aspect  of  the  town ;  the  flowers,  still  glittering  with 
dew,  were  expanding  in  the  first  rays  of  the  sun ;  the 
birds  were  frolicking  among  the  leaves,  or,  perched  upon 
a  branch  apart,  were  greeting  each  other  with  delicious 
melody.  All  along  the  road  we  met  groups  of  little 
Chinese  children,  with  large  straw  hats,  leading  goats, 
asses,  or  enormous  buffaloes,  to  feed  on  the  grass  that 
grew  in  the  ditches.  You  could  hear  the  prattling  of 
the  little  creatures  quite  far  off,  and  see  them  capering 
and  jumping,  some  trying  to  climb  on  the  backs  of  the 
buffaloes,  and  seat  themselves  astride  there,  others  teas- 
ing the  animal,  to  induce  him  to  throw  off  the  little  suc- 
cessful cavalier,  without  at  all  troubling  themselves 
with  the  quarrels  of  the  Chinese  and  Tartar  races. 
When  our  palanquins  came  up,  they  assumed  a  grave, 
modest  attitude,  and  preserved  a"  perfect  silence ;  but  it 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          415 

was  easy  to  see  arch  and  mischievous  glances  through 
all  their  demure  looks,  and  as  soon  as  ever  we  had 
passed,  they  resumed  their  gambols,  even  more  noisily 
than  before.  After  our  disagreeable  adventures  on  the 
Blue  River,  and  the  two  days  passed  in  a  town  still 
agitated  by  civil  discord,  the  aspect  of  the  beautiful 
country,  ahvays  delightful  enough,  seemed  really  to  do 
us  good,  and  the  sweetness  and  serenity  of  the  air  to 
pass  into  our  thoughts. 

This  pleasant  state  of  mind  did  not,  however,  last 
longer  than  the  expansion  of  the  flowers  of  the  field. 
What  a  strange  mixture  of  energy  and  weakness  is  the 
heart  of  man!  If  it  requires  little  to  elevate  and 
strengthen  it,  a  breath  also  is  sufficient  to  cast  it  down. 
The  sight  of  the  country,  and  the  delightful  freshness 
of  the  morning,  had  seemed  to  give  us  new  life ;  yet  as 
soon  as  the  heat  of  the  sun,  and  the  weight  of  the  at- 
mosphere, had  bowed  down  the  plants  and  withered 
the  flowers,  we  also  fell  into  dejection.  By  degrees,  as 
the  air  and  the  earth  became  heated,  the  breeze  that 
had  been  blowing  in  the  morning  died  away,  and  toward 
noon  was  entirely  gone,  and  we  seemed  to  be  actually 
breathing  fire.  Even  the  Chinese,  accustomed  as  they 
are  to  these  terrible  heats,  were  almost  suffocated. 
From  time  to  time  we  went  to  rest  in  the  shade  of 
large  trees  that  we  came  to  at  the  road-side ;  but, 
wherever  we  went,  we  found  ourselves  in  a  furnace, 
and  even  in  the  shade  there  was  scarcely  a  perceptible 
difference. 

This  frightful  day  was  followed  by  a  night  still  more 
fatiguing,  except  that  the  weather  had  somewhat  cooled ; 
for  we  were  tormented  incessantly  by  swarms  of  mos- 
quitoes, which  turned  our  hours  of  rest  into 'hours  of 
torture. 

We  were  now  in  a  flat,  damp,  marshy  country,  where 


416  JOURNEY  THROUGH   THE   CHINESE  KMI'IKK. 

these  abominable  insects  increase  and  multiply  in  an 
incredible  manner ;  and  as  they  too  dread  the  great 
heats,  they  go  in  the  middle  of  the  day  to  take  refuge 
among  the  grass  at  the  borders  of  water,  or  in  the  dark- 
est recesses  of  woods  ;  but  when  the  night  comes,  they 
issue  from  their  lair,  wrathful  and  hungry,  and  throw 
themselves  with  fury  on  their  unhappy  victims.  It  is 
impossible  to  protect  one's  self  from  them,  for  they 
can  insinuate  themselves  into  the  smallest  openings, 
and  the  mosquito-net  soon  becomes  loaded  with  them. 
Those  who  have  ever  had  an  opportunity  of  becoming 
acquainted  with  these  creatures  will  know  what  it  is  to 
pass  a  night  in  their  company.  There  was  every  sign 
that  this  weather  would  last  for  several  days,  and  we 
felt  so  incapable  of  continuing  the  journey  in  such  a 
season,  that  we  resolved  to  stop  at  the  first  convenient 
station,  and  allow  this  tremendous  heat  to  pass  before 
proceeding  farther.  We  were  on  the  point  of  announc- 
ing that  plan  to  our  conductors,  when  our  servant  was 
inspired  with  a  grand  idea. 

"It  seems  to  me,"  said  he,  "that  for  several  days 
past  you  have  not  been  very  comfortable." 

"You  are  right,  Wei-chan,"  we  replied;  "we  are 
suffering  very  much.  Our  strength  is  quite  exhaust- 
ed." 

"Who  can  doubt  it?  When  one  has  great  fatigue 
in  the  day,  and  no  rest  at  night,  where  should  the 
strength  come  from  ?  This  is  the  season  at  which  the 
rays  of  the  sun  and  the  stings  of  mosquitoes  are  most 
terrible  ;  but  we  might  easily  protect  ourselves  from 
both  one  and  the  other." 

"  Do  you  really  think  we  could  find  any  way  to  man- 
age that  ?" 

"  Yes ;  and  a  very  simple  one ;  one  that  the  mos- 
quitoes themselves  have  taught  me.  These  insects 


JOURNEY  THROUGH   THE  CHINESE   EMPIRE.          417 

in  the  day  and  travel  at  night.  Why  shouldn't  we  do 
so  too  ?  By  that  means  we  should  avoid  both  the  sun 
and  the  mosquitoes."  The  idea  seemed  excellent. 

"  Capital !"  said  we  ;  "  why  you  are  quite  a  man  of 
resources.  Your  advice  is  as  wise  as  it  is  simple,  and 
you  shall  see  that  this  very  evening  we  will  put  it  in 
practice." 

The  moment  when  Wei-chan  received  this  sudden  il- 
lumination was,  perhaps,  the  hottest  of  the  day,  and  we 
were  seated  in  the  vestibule  of  the  little  pagoda  of  a 
village.  We  had  made  the  half  of  our  day's  journey, 
and  were  resting  a  little  before  going  on ;  while  the 
peasants  of  the  place  hastened  to  bring  us  provisions, 
and  to  prorit  by  our  passage  to  earn  a  few  sapecks. 
While  we  were  seeking  to  extinguish  the  fire  that  con- 
sumed us  by  swallowing  great  cups  of  tea,  and  chewing 
pieces  of  sugar-cane,  our  Mandarins  were  refreshing 
themselves  wiih  smoking  opium,  in  a  narrow  cell  be- 
longing to  a  Bonze.  The  soldiers  and  the  palan- 
quin bearers,  stretched  at  the  road-side,  were  sleep- 
ing soundly  under  the  burning  rays  of  the  sun ;  and 
our  servant  was  alone  with  us,  under  the  shadow  of  the 
broad  roofed  pagoda,  when  he  communicated  his  admira- 
ble plan. 

As  soon  as  we  reached  the  station  where  we  were  to 
pass  the  night,  we  communicated  our  project  to  Ting, 
and  to  the  first  magistrate  of  the  place.  At  first,  of 
course,  it  met  with  opposition.  It  was  a  very  bad 
thing  to  travel  after  twilight — it  was  quite  unusual — it 
was  turning  night  into  day,  and  day  into  night,  etc. 
They  could  not  help  seeing  that  there  were  great  ad- 
vantages in  the  innovation;  but  what  would  people 
think  ?  What  would  people  say  ?  All  that  we  could 
allege  went  for  nothing  against  this  powerful  argu- 
ment. 

S* 


418          JOURNEY   THROUGH  THE  CHINESE   EMPIRE. 

\\Y  In-thought  ourselves,  however,  of  a  very  simple 
method  of  bringing  the  magistrate  over  to  our  side, 
which  was  to  say  very  gravely  that  since  we  found  it 
impossible  to  travel  in  the  middle  of  the  day  in  this 
summer  heat,  we  should,  if  we  did  not  travel  at  night, 
have  to  wait  for  the  cooler  days  of  autumn ;  but  we 
gave  him  at  the  same  time  to  understand,  that  we  came 
from  a  country  where  it  was  the  custom  to  travel  by 
night  more  than  by  day,  and  we  did  not  at  all  like 
having  to  break  through  our  established  customs.  This 
argument  was  found  sufficient,  and  an  estafette  was  im- 
mediately mounted  and  sent  off,  to  give  notice  along 
the  road  that  in  future  wre  should  do  the  stages  by 
night. 

Many  people  in  Europe  imagine  in  the  Chinese  char- 
acter the  calmness  and  gravity  of  the  philosopher,  but 
we  have  always  found  in  it,  on  the  contrary,  the  light- 
ness and  versatility  of  the  child.  Thus  in  the  pres- 
ent case,  the  people  of  our  escort  had  appeared  gen- 
erally repugnant  to  our  new  plan  of  traveling;  but  no 
sooner  was  our  determination  taken,  and  it  was  settled 
that  we  should  begin  this  very  evening,  when  every 
body  was  full  of  impatience.  Mandarins  and  soldiers 
laughed,  sung,  frolicked,  and  promised  themselves  in- 
finite pleasure.  They  would  hardly  give  themselves 
time  to  take  their  evening  meal,  or  make  the  necessary 
preparations ;  every  moment  they  came  to  tell  us  it  was 
dark,  and  to  ask  whether  we  should  not  set  off.  Master 
Ting  burst  abruptly  into  the  room  into  which  we  had 
retired  to  say  our  prayers,  and  throwing  down  at  our 
feet,  with  great  noise,  a  bundle  of  pieces  of  wood  that 
he  had  been  carrying  on  his  shoulders,  exclaimed, 
"  There !  there's  a  fine  collection  of  torches  of  resinous 
wood  to  light  us  on  our  way;"  and  as  he  spoke,  he 
fairly  jumped  about  with  joy,  like  a  little  child.  \Ve 


JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE.          419 

pointed  out  to  him,  however,  that  he  was  disturbing 
us,  and  then  he  took  up  his  bundle  again  and  went 
away. 

At  last,  toward  ten  o'clock  in  the  evening,  we  quitted 
the  communal  palace.  As  we  passed  tlirough  the  streets 
of  the  town,  our  manner  of  traveling  did  not  seem  at  all 
extraordinary.  The  Chinese  streets  are  so  well  lighted 
up  with  lanterns  of  all  sizes,  shapes,  and  colors,  that  the 
little  illumination  we  carried  with  us  became  mingled 
with  the  other  numerous  lights  by  which  our  eyes  were 
almost  dazzled.  When  we  got  out  into  the  country, 
however,  we  could  contemplate  at  our  ease  our  own 
splendor,  without  being  distracted  by  the  lanterns  of  the 
public,  and  the  varied  and  fantastic  spectacle  that  was 
displayed  all  along  the  road  delighted  us  for  a  long 
time. 

The  horsemen  who  led  the  march  were  furnished  with 
large  torches  that  cast  a  red  light  with  abundance  of 
smoke ;  then  came  the  foot  passengers,  each  with  his 
own  lantern,  of  peculiar  form  and  dimension,  and  the 
palanquins  were  also  illuminated  by  four  red  lanterns 
suspended  to  the  four  corners  of  their  canopy.  All 
these  lights,  rising  and  sinking  with  the  inequalities  of 
the  ground,  crossing  each  other  in  all  directions,  accord- 
ing to  the  movements  of  the  travelers,  presented  such 
an  amusing  spectacle  that  we  never  noticed  the  length 
of  the  way :  and  the  gleaming  lights  from  our  grand 
illumination,  falling  on  and  partially  lighting  up  farms, 
and  corn-fields,  and  trees,  and  every  object  on  the  road, 
produced  the  most  singular  and  striking  effects.  All 
the  caravan  was  in  the  highest  spirits  ;  they  sung,  they 
joked,  they  amused  themselves  with  letting  off  crackers, 
and  firing  rockets  into  the  air,  for  in  China  there  is  no 
such  thing  as  happiness  without  fire-works.  Our  serv- 
ant Wei-chan  was,  as  it  was  fair  lie  should  be,  the 


420          JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CHINESE  EMPIKK. 

happiest  of  the  whole  band.  He  came  from  time  to 
time  frisking  about  our  palanquin,  and  we  never  failed 
to  give  him  what  he  was  looking  for,  repeated  compli- 
ments on  his  happy  discovery. 

Never,  in  fact,  had  we  seen  a  journey  performed  with 
more  pleasure,  and,  besides  the  perpetual  amusement  of 
the  spectacle,  we  rejoiced  in  a  tolerably  pleasant  tem- 
perature ;  the  night  was  not  very  cool,  but  at  least  it 
was  possible  to  breathe.  Toward  one  o'clock  in  the 
morning  we  saw  advancing  toward  us  an  illumination 
a  good  deal  resembling  our  own,  except  the  resinous 
torches  ;  and  presently  the  two  became  mingled  and 
confounded  with  one  another.  AVe  had  reached  a  little 
town  where  we  were  to  stop  to  dine,  and  the  magis- 
trate of  the  place,  who  was  expecting  us,  had  sent 
all  the  lantern-bearers  of  his  tribunal  to  increase  our 
escort.  The  matter  had  been  so  well  arranged  that 
there  was  not  a  moment's  delay.  We  found  the  din- 
ner quite  ready :  every  one  had  an  excellent  appetite, 
and  after  having  saluted  the  functionaries  who  had  come 
to  bear  us  company,  we  resumed  our  nocturnal  pere- 
grination. 

We  arrived  at  the  next  stage  before  sun-rise,  and  as 
soon  as  we  were  installed  in  the  communal  palace,  we 
received  the  visits  of  the  Mandarins,  and  then,  with- 
out troubling  ourselves  to  ask  what  o'clock  it  was,  we 
supped  in  a  manner  that  might  not  have  led  any  one 
to  suppose  we  had  dined  very  well  at  one  o'clock  in 
the  morning. 

The  time  having  come,  at  which,  as  we  were  told, 
the  mosquitoes  are  in  the  habit  of  going  to  bed,  we  pre- 
pared to  go  to  bed  also,  and  the  observation  of  Wei- 
chan  proved  to  be  extremely  accurate,  for  these  redoubt- 
able insects,  after  having  vagabondized  all  night,  have, 
doubtless,  need  of  repose ;  and  they  allowed  us  to  sleep 


JOURNEY   THROUGH   THE   CHINESE  EMPIRE.  421 

soundly  and  peaceably  till  the  end  of  tlie  day.  We 
continued  to  follow  this  new  plan  of  traveling,  and  found 
ourselves  all  the  better  for  it;  but  our  strength  had 
been  so  completely  exhausted  by  the  long  duration  of 
our  fatigues,  that  at  Kuen-kang-hien,  a  town  of  the 
third  order,  we  fell  seriously  ill,  and  were  compelled  to 
interrupt  our  journey. 


END  OF  THE  FIRST  VOLUME. 


This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below 

3  0  1943 

/ 

: 

AUG  22 

?TO  BOOK 


JAN 
ffi 

JAN 


Form  L-9-15m-7,'32 


707  Hue    - 

H86e£  A   journey 

v.l  tarn ugh 

cop. 8  th e  _ 


Chinese 


-.  .-• 


•  • 


unn  o 


3  1158  00408  0239 


A    000  578  761     9 


of  CALIFORNIA 


LIBRARY 


